tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34893436295450262492015-03-01T21:32:52.836-05:00THE RIGHT TO GRIPETHE RIGHT TO GRIPE - J. M.http://www.blogger.com/profile/04193784424776041797noreply@blogger.comBlogger368125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3489343629545026249.post-34382367672171209082015-03-01T12:40:00.002-05:002015-03-01T12:40:34.619-05:00Luzerne County Pay Raises<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-t_cvpX4HZtY/VPNOUqzpBsI/AAAAAAAAEzM/XSbwmN1gfuQ/s1600/th.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-t_cvpX4HZtY/VPNOUqzpBsI/AAAAAAAAEzM/XSbwmN1gfuQ/s1600/th.jpg" height="132" width="200" /></a></div>The chaotic state of Luzerne County was dealt a blow to their pocketbook this past week.&nbsp; The county now needs to come up with more than a half million dollars to cover raises for 3 nearly finalized union contracts.&nbsp; These insane raises will be dished out to 480 union employees and will total $538,000 after healthcare savings.&nbsp; The new contracts cover unionized prison employees, assistant district attorneys and public defenders and a multitude of workers in the residual union, including 911 telecommunicators, security guards, maintenance crews and other support staffers in various offices.&nbsp; All three of these unions have been working under contracts that expired the end of 2013, and none will receive raises for 2014.&nbsp; Poor babies, no raises for 2014.&nbsp; It breaks my heart.....NOT!&nbsp; County Manager Robert Lawton announced these raises but also said that the county saved $115,000 in healthcare concessions.&nbsp; Wait a minute, a $538,000 in raises versus a $115,000 savings in healthcare?&nbsp; This does not add up to anything good to me.&nbsp; If my math is correct, the pin heads from the county just lost $423,000.&nbsp; I guess they must be using some other type of math so it doesn't look so bad. &nbsp; Lawton told reporters that about $840,000 of the $42 million earmarked for payroll can be tapped for the union raises because the county typically has a 2-percent position vacancy rate due to delays replacing employees who leave, Lawton told council. <br /><br />Here is a breakdown of these raises and my thoughts.<br /><br />• Prison —2.5-percent raises this year and 2 percent in 2017 and 2018. Instead of a raise, workers will receive 2.5-percent bonuses that are not permanently added to their base salaries in 2016.&nbsp; The compensation of corrections officers ranges from $28,155 to $56,311, according to the county’s position report. A 2.5-percent increase would be $704 at the low end and $1,408 on the high.&nbsp; <b></b><br /><b>(This reminds me of an NFL contract laced with incentive bonuses.&nbsp; This is nothing more than a smoke and mirrors show to deflect what the real % of increase is.&nbsp; I can bet that all of the employees will make their bonus) </b><br /><br />• Assistant district attorneys/public defenders — 2015, 3 percent; 2016 and 2017, 3.25 percent; and 2018, 4 percent.<br />The salaries of most full-time assistant district attorneys range from $40,000 to $52,300, which equates to raises from $1,200 to $1,569 this year, county records show. The compensation for full-time assistant public defenders runs from $40,000 to $64,550, records show.<br /><b>(I'm really confused here?&nbsp; The public defenders make more money on the high end than the assistant district attorney's?&nbsp; No wonder the joke around the county is you can get away with murder in Luzerne County.&nbsp; Shouldn't the D.A.'s make more that the public defenders?&nbsp; I say give the D.A.'s office all of the money and make the P.D.'s fend for themselves.) </b><br /><br />• Residual — 2015, 2.5 percent; and 2016 and 2017, 2 percent.&nbsp;<br /><b>( I can only assume this mysterious category is for the remainder of the union people covered under these contracts.&nbsp; When it comes to government I really am skeptical of generalities when it comes to money.&nbsp; What I do know is these workers are getting a 2.5% raise in 2015 and 2% in 2016 and 2017.)&nbsp; </b><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-h0Ady0qUmXw/VPNOlVXB_6I/AAAAAAAAEzU/67K31muyNEw/s1600/bottom%2Bline1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-h0Ady0qUmXw/VPNOlVXB_6I/AAAAAAAAEzU/67K31muyNEw/s1600/bottom%2Bline1.jpg" height="75" width="200" /></a></div>The bottom line here is the county needs to dump these unions and come into the real world.&nbsp; These workers have been milking the teat of the taxpayers for as long as I can remember and it has to stop.&nbsp; As I write the Gripe, I have a tube of KY next to me because you can bet our taxes are going up.&nbsp; How else will the county nimrods be able to fund these raises.&nbsp; I for one am sick and tired of getting bent over and jammed with increased taxes.&nbsp; My pay does not go up to compensate for added expenses and my guess is neither does the pays for most people working in the private sector.&nbsp; It's business as usual over at the courthouse on River Street.&nbsp; I think it's time to hang the closed for business sign on the door and cleanse the halls of the mismanaged government. &nbsp;&nbsp; <br /><br /><br />THE RIGHT TO GRIPE - J. M.http://www.blogger.com/profile/04193784424776041797noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3489343629545026249.post-15798165440938391722015-02-21T13:26:00.002-05:002015-02-21T13:26:57.504-05:00Gripe Shots<br /><div style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></div><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7MEHAjyiTIg/VOi84g-9tkI/AAAAAAAAExo/OAxPqSWW3xI/s1600/Gripeshots1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7MEHAjyiTIg/VOi84g-9tkI/AAAAAAAAExo/OAxPqSWW3xI/s1600/Gripeshots1.jpg" height="150" width="150" /></a>I have not had a chance lately to throw up some Gripe.&nbsp; You know how it goes, work, work work makes the R2G a dull boy.&nbsp; Well, I have had enough.&nbsp; You see Gripe has been building up and I need to relax.&nbsp; When this build up of Gripe comes, I know it is time to pull up the old stool and summon the Gripetender.&nbsp; It is time to throw back a few to get things off my chest.&nbsp; Yep, you got that right.&nbsp; It is time for a few Gripe Shots.&nbsp; So why don't you join me so we can lay do<br /><br /><br /><div style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: left;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7KYc8kJjDEU/VOjKjIhFwQI/AAAAAAAAEx4/IZlk7iynoQQ/s1600/th.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7KYc8kJjDEU/VOjKjIhFwQI/AAAAAAAAEx4/IZlk7iynoQQ/s1600/th.jpg" /></a>Pennsylvania's new Governor, Tom "The Wolfman" Wolf has been in office for about a month and a half and he is already ticking me off.&nbsp; The Wolfman announced yesterday that he is putting a moratorium on the states death penalty laws.&nbsp; He is waiting for a report from the Pennsylvania Task Force and Advisory Commission on Capital Punishment.&nbsp; My hand just cramped up typing out this commissions full name.&nbsp; In a memorandum The Wolfman stated that while governors have signed more than 400 death warrants since the death penalty was reinstated nearly 40 years ago only 3 people have actually been executed.&nbsp; WHAT!&nbsp; WHAT!&nbsp; ARE YOU FREAKIN' KIDDING ME!&nbsp; Only 3 people have been strapped into the power chair and zapped!&nbsp; That's insane!&nbsp; Why have the death penalty if you are not going to fry these murdering bastards?&nbsp; I'll tell you why.&nbsp; People are getting sick and tired of forking over tax dollars to keep murders behind bars.&nbsp; Some will say, "What if they are innocent and we put them to death"?&nbsp; I say one appeal and if the verdict is still guilty drag them down the hall and flip the power switch.&nbsp; Criminals will think twice about killing someone if this were the case.</div><div style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br /></div><br /><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-T-b1c-5frb0/VOjLUuzQ7sI/AAAAAAAAEyA/1EkDsDMIprY/s1600/a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-T-b1c-5frb0/VOjLUuzQ7sI/AAAAAAAAEyA/1EkDsDMIprY/s1600/a.jpg" /></a><br />Last night a few professional Gripers got together to have a few beers and a couple of cuts of pizza.&nbsp; Of course talk turned to the Middle East and then eventually to the recent murders in Raleigh, North Carolina.&nbsp; Three UNC students were shot dead by 46 year old Craig Steven Hicks.&nbsp; The reason for the shooting is still unknown but rumors say it was either over a book or a parking space.&nbsp; The caveat to this shooting is the victims were Muslims.&nbsp; Of course this has the international community in an uproar.&nbsp; The Secretary General of the United Nations along with Jordan's Ambassador are joining others around the work decrying the shootings.&nbsp; Wait a minute here.&nbsp; Yes, any act of murder is a terrible thing, but why is the spineless U.N. making statements?&nbsp; When people of other religions are murdered, they don't make statements.&nbsp; They made this statement because most of the countries around this world are gutless.&nbsp; Period!&nbsp; If 3 Catholic, Protestant or Jewish students were murdered there would be a front page story in the Raleigh paper as well as others in the surrounding community.&nbsp; It would not be a world story.&nbsp; This actually makes me want to puke! <br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5qnTBCVHgGw/VOjLzxHNGeI/AAAAAAAAEyI/te-K6QvOlTk/s1600/th.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5qnTBCVHgGw/VOjLzxHNGeI/AAAAAAAAEyI/te-K6QvOlTk/s1600/th.jpg" /></a></div>Finally, I am sick and tired of winter.&nbsp; I don't know how much more of this below zero crap I can take.&nbsp; I also don't know if I can handle anymore snow and ice either.&nbsp; Mother nature has changed her normal weather patterns this winter to include the Northeast in her punishment zone.&nbsp; The New England states may not get rid of their snow until June.&nbsp; Hell, it has piled up over their front doors.&nbsp; Hey now I know why people go out for bread and milk before it snows.&nbsp; I wonder if the Bostonian's stocked up before the snow hit?&nbsp; By the way, it looks like they may get hit hard again this weekend.&nbsp; Poor bastards.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; THE RIGHT TO GRIPE - J. M.http://www.blogger.com/profile/04193784424776041797noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3489343629545026249.post-70298435774292609572015-01-03T12:29:00.002-05:002015-01-03T12:29:57.601-05:00Levee Fee News<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-i904PVDrpek/VKglFXFH5zI/AAAAAAAAEw4/8L3FRnXHCPk/s1600/2015.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-i904PVDrpek/VKglFXFH5zI/AAAAAAAAEw4/8L3FRnXHCPk/s1600/2015.jpg" height="112" width="200" /></a></div>As I knew it would, 2015 is starting out with a Griping BANG!&nbsp; No, it's not the mysterious bangs that people heard in several parts of our area.&nbsp; I did not hear "The Bang" myself, but one of our faithful Gripers, Bob W. and his daughter Grace did.&nbsp; They said it was so loud that it shook their house.&nbsp; I am not sure why I didn't hear it, but it may have been due to 3 Kingston Police Cruisers flying up my street at warp speed.&nbsp; Maybe the bang was from these jabronies breaking the sound barrier.&nbsp; It appears that they were in hot pursuit of guy who kidnapped his girlfriend and kids.&nbsp; And you thought I was going to say in pursuit of hot donuts!&nbsp; This high speed chase ended up with the car crashing and one person taken into custody.&nbsp; No one was injured in this high speed affair.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gcDlGEsu558/VKglYdULrZI/AAAAAAAAExA/kutfz5yJSUo/s1600/1levee.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gcDlGEsu558/VKglYdULrZI/AAAAAAAAExA/kutfz5yJSUo/s1600/1levee.jpg" /></a></div>Yep, 2015 has started off with a wallop.&nbsp; A wallop to our pocketbooks.&nbsp; On New Years Eve Luzerne County Judge Richard M. Hughes issued a 42 page decision upholding the County Levee Fee stemming from a trial back in September.&nbsp; I guess his secretary must have been hand writing this decision with a colonial feather pen.&nbsp; This trial goes all the way back to 2009 when the Municipality of Kingston along with 6 of its residents filed a lawsuit challenging the legality of this bogus fee.&nbsp; Their argument, and a valid one I must say, is that all residents of Luzerne County should be taxed and not just people who live in the Agnes Flood Zone.&nbsp; They contest that in 2011 the levee held back 42.66 feet of water which was higher than the 40.91 feet in 1972.&nbsp; They argue that more areas would have been flooded which makes sense to me.&nbsp; They also argue that higher elevation properties generate storm water and should be taxed as well.&nbsp; Again, I agree.&nbsp; As we build more houses and pave roads on the mountains, rain and snow melt run down to the storm drainage system in the valley at a faster pace.&nbsp; These storm drains and catch basins were not made to handle this high volume of water.&nbsp; The result is more localized street flooding along with faster storm drainage into the Susquehanna River.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-R-6MqSq4pNw/VKgmOzXpT4I/AAAAAAAAExQ/O7a9PvOEhi8/s1600/bottom%2Bline.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-R-6MqSq4pNw/VKgmOzXpT4I/AAAAAAAAExQ/O7a9PvOEhi8/s1600/bottom%2Bline.png" height="149" width="200" /></a></div>The Bottom Line here is the mindless idiot County Commissioners at the time from Luzerne County Petrilla, Skrepenak And Urban decided to stop funding flood protection back in 2009.&nbsp; Maybe one of the dumbest moves they have ever made.&nbsp; Instead they laid the burden of protection squarely on the backs of the taxpayers with this bogus Levee Fee. To top it off, this Moron Judge upholds the Counties decision.&nbsp; What else did you think he was going to do.&nbsp; I have voiced my opinion on the R2G many a time on the Levy Fee.&nbsp; IT STINKS!&nbsp; It is a selective tax forced onto the people who lived in the Agnes Flood area.&nbsp; What about the people that live outside the flood zone who come to work in the flood area?&nbsp; They benefit from the levee.&nbsp; What about the people who shop within the flood zone?&nbsp; They benefit from the levee.&nbsp; Before you know it the county will impose a fee on everyone that has the number 2 in their house number.&nbsp; This fee just plain STINKS!&nbsp; What we all should do is simply refuse to pay it.&nbsp; What would the county do then?&nbsp; I'll tell you....NOTHING!&nbsp; They couldn't put us all in the slammer.&nbsp; They could not get Rob Mericle to build jails fast enough.&nbsp; THE RIGHT TO GRIPE - J. M.http://www.blogger.com/profile/04193784424776041797noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3489343629545026249.post-7861762562288602072015-01-01T12:26:00.004-05:002015-01-01T12:26:59.783-05:00Top 10 Weirdest Stories of 2014Happy New Year!&nbsp; Yep, another Gripe filled year is behind us and what 2015 will bring is still unknown.&nbsp; I do know that people will continue to do dumb things at an accelerated rate and more and more weird stuff will make us shake our heads.&nbsp; To kick off 2015 I would like to get you all prepared with the Top 5 Weirdest Stories of 2014.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-U153a3MQPBg/VKWCMIICZnI/AAAAAAAAEwI/6aw6iF_O548/s1600/slide_390934_4752460_free.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-U153a3MQPBg/VKWCMIICZnI/AAAAAAAAEwI/6aw6iF_O548/s1600/slide_390934_4752460_free.jpg" height="150" width="107" /></a></div><b>5. Human Barbie Doll Wants To Live Off Light:&nbsp;</b> The human "Barbie Doll" Valeria Lukyanova was back in the spotlight this past year when she declared that her goal is to live off of light and air.&nbsp; She has adopted the "Breatharian" way of living which consists of not eating or drinking but to live off of the "cosmic microdust".&nbsp; Back in March she was quoted as saying, "In recent weeks I have not been hungry at all," Lukyanova said, according to the International Business Times. "I'm hoping it's the final stage before I can subsist on air and light alone."&nbsp; We will have to keep our eyes out for her Obituary.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-d_XN6_T5MPM/VKWCofVqgHI/AAAAAAAAEwQ/fQI-iyYgi7k/s1600/slide_390934_4758808_free.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-d_XN6_T5MPM/VKWCofVqgHI/AAAAAAAAEwQ/fQI-iyYgi7k/s1600/slide_390934_4758808_free.jpg" height="120" width="200" /></a></div><b>4.&nbsp; Worlds Dirtiest Man Smokes Poop:&nbsp;</b> 80 year old Amou Haji of Iran has the distinction of being named the dirtiest man in the world.&nbsp; Haji certainly can't count clean living as the reason for his good health at such a late age in life.&nbsp; Instead he claims that smoking animal poop and not bathing for 60 years are his fountain of youth.&nbsp; He also likes to eat porcupine meat.&nbsp; Amou adopted this lifestyle after what he says was a very emotional period in his life.&nbsp; By the way, he lives alone.&nbsp; Go figure?<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-AGqoWH4zlNw/VKWC8YfVwiI/AAAAAAAAEwY/8IKjN95SQ00/s1600/n-TRIDEVIL-large.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-AGqoWH4zlNw/VKWC8YfVwiI/AAAAAAAAEwY/8IKjN95SQ00/s1600/n-TRIDEVIL-large.jpg" height="146" width="200" /></a></div><b>3. The Triple Nipple:&nbsp; </b>Back in September Florida woman Jasmine Tridevil reportedly spent $20,000 to get a third boob surgically implanted on her chest in a twisted attempt to look less attractive to men.&nbsp; "I don't want to date anymore," when asked why she added the extra mammary complete with an artificial nipple and tattoo to resemble an areola.&nbsp; But she's still proud of the apparent triple nipple.&nbsp; "It was really hard finding someone that would do it too because they’re breaking the code of ethics," she said. "But I got a breast implant and a mini implant to make it look like there’s a nipple poking out."&nbsp; Faulty thinking here.&nbsp; You can't have enough nipple.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-w3euJYBqW7c/VKWDGNeyC8I/AAAAAAAAEwg/JD2opxqPh9Y/s1600/slide_390934_4749584_free.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-w3euJYBqW7c/VKWDGNeyC8I/AAAAAAAAEwg/JD2opxqPh9Y/s1600/slide_390934_4749584_free.jpg" height="133" width="200" /></a></div><b>2.&nbsp; Mr. DDD:&nbsp;</b> A man that calls himself Double Dick Dude was born with a rare disorder called Diphallia.&nbsp; Yes, he has two penises.&nbsp; His real identity has remained a secret, however he did say that he was bisexual and is in a relationship with another couple.&nbsp; He also revealed that both reach a length of 6 inches but one can hit 7 inches if he is really aroused.&nbsp; To check out DDD... <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/01/02/man-with-two-penises-reddit-ama_n_4531433.html">http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/01/02/man-with-two-penises-reddit-ama_n_4531433.html &nbsp; </a><br />He also likes to go commando all year around.&nbsp; Give him a call ladies.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ZXPjG4z0W3o/VKWDO-iQ5ZI/AAAAAAAAEwo/xG7ud6dctOQ/s1600/o-SEX-TOY-XRAY-570.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ZXPjG4z0W3o/VKWDO-iQ5ZI/AAAAAAAAEwo/xG7ud6dctOQ/s1600/o-SEX-TOY-XRAY-570.jpg" height="86" width="200" /></a></div><b>1. Sex Toy Stuck In Woman's Vagina For 10 Years:&nbsp;</b> A 38-year-old woman in Scotland was shaking, incontinent and suffering severe weight loss when doctors found the cause of her trouble -- a 5-inch sex toy, lost in her vagina for 10 years, according to the Journal of Sexual Medicine. The woman, said to be of normal intelligence, told doctors she didn't remember whether or not she took the plaything out after a drunken encounter several years earlier.&nbsp; By the time surgeons found it, the toy's effects were potentially life-threatening. It had caused a bladder blockage that was forcing urine to back up into her kidneys, and had also created a vesicovaginal fistula, which is a tract that causes urine to flow into the vagina. Remember, kids: Cars aren't the only thing you shouldn't operate while intoxicated.<br /><br /><b> </b><br />There you have it, the Top 5 Weirdest Stories<b> </b>of 2014.&nbsp; Believe me when I say it was difficult to narrow this down to 5. &nbsp; <b></b>THE RIGHT TO GRIPE - J. M.http://www.blogger.com/profile/04193784424776041797noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3489343629545026249.post-37291852970647461482014-12-27T12:13:00.003-05:002014-12-27T12:13:41.189-05:00Top 10 Crazy Stories of 2014<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br />As 2014 draws to a close, it's time to go back through the archives to search for our Top 10 Crazy Stories of 2014.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-MDPOgGaXOGc/VJ7ilvgD4lI/AAAAAAAAEuA/3yVo1nr5Cjo/s1600/wps1AF4.tmp_thumb%5B2%5D.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-MDPOgGaXOGc/VJ7ilvgD4lI/AAAAAAAAEuA/3yVo1nr5Cjo/s1600/wps1AF4.tmp_thumb%5B2%5D.png" height="115" width="200" /></a></div><b>10. Pilots Arm Falls Off While Landing Plane:&nbsp;</b> While trying to land a small commuter jet in Belfast, the pilot (name has been withheld) momentarily lost control of the plane when his prosthetic arm fell off.&nbsp; He thought he had secured the arm in place but evidently did not.&nbsp; Due to heavy winds he had switched from the auto landing to manual.&nbsp; When asked why a person with only one arm was flying a plane FlyBe's Safety Director Captain Ian Baston said that the budget airline had a policy as an equal opportunity employer.&nbsp; <i><b>Next up is a blind man in the cockpit I would think.</b></i><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Z3cfVR1r3tE/VJ7iuK2HsNI/AAAAAAAAEuI/Fy4yYr9sNEM/s1600/wps3C7F.tmp_thumb%5B3%5D.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Z3cfVR1r3tE/VJ7iuK2HsNI/AAAAAAAAEuI/Fy4yYr9sNEM/s1600/wps3C7F.tmp_thumb%5B3%5D.png" height="145" width="200" /></a></div><b>9. </b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Don't Use Fire to Remove TP From a Tree:&nbsp;</b> <span>Cheryl Crausewell of Dora, Alabama, found that someone had TPed the trees in her yard one night in January. The family tried to clean up the mess, but some of the toilet paper in a magnolia tree was out of their reach. What to do? Maybe they should have tried a ladder, but instead they set it on fire. A small piece of paper drifted out to the yard and ignited the grass.&nbsp; Within seconds the fire spread to the house where the propane tank exploded.&nbsp; No one was hurt in the blaze.&nbsp; <i><b>One word....IDIOTS</b></i></span></span></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span><br /></span></span></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/--9OkDqz9dVU/VJ7i2tlXk7I/AAAAAAAAEuQ/WlKroMtsmYI/s1600/wps27B1.tmp_thumb%5B2%5D.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/--9OkDqz9dVU/VJ7i2tlXk7I/AAAAAAAAEuQ/WlKroMtsmYI/s1600/wps27B1.tmp_thumb%5B2%5D.png" height="133" width="200" /></a></div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span><b>8. Sewer Blocked By Big Pooh:&nbsp;</b> </span><span>Scottish Water, a national public utility, has found some unusual objects blocking the sewers underneath Scotland over the past year. That includes a huge plush Winnie-the-Pooh bear in East Kilbride, South Lanarkshire. But they say the list also contains </span><span>a fax machine, a bike, a snake, and blue jeans</span><span>. How does anyone get such items down the drain?&nbsp; The most common objects that block a sewer are grease, diapers, and baby wipes. A new public awareness campaign hopes to discourage people from putting anything into the sewer system that will cause blockages. Unstopping the pipes costs the utility more than £7 million every year.&nbsp; <i><b>This equals $8.9222 million U.S. dollars.&nbsp; I knew the Scots were full of "Pooh".</b></i></span></span></span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span>&nbsp;</span></span></span>&nbsp;</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-lUHZD43xR3Q/VJ7lPBQFFdI/AAAAAAAAEuk/decBdsvt6Zs/s1600/wpsC21B.tmp_thumb%5B2%5D.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-lUHZD43xR3Q/VJ7lPBQFFdI/AAAAAAAAEuk/decBdsvt6Zs/s1600/wpsC21B.tmp_thumb%5B2%5D.png" height="125" width="200" /></a><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>7. </b><span><b>Drunk Driver Busted by Parrot:</b></span> <span>Guillermo Reyes was driving home from a bar in Mexico City when he encountered a DUI traffic stop. When police talked to him, they heard a voice from inside the car saying, "He's drunk! He's drunk!" They shone a light into the car, but there were no other passengers, just Reyes' parrot. Apparently he'd heard people say that phrase enough to learn it. The cops gave Reyes a Breathalyzer test, and concluded that he was, indeed, driving while impaired. Reyes was sent to the drunk tank overnight, and the parrot was allowed to accompany him.&nbsp;<i><b> I'm surprised that bird saw the light of day.</b></i></span></span></span></div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b></b></span><span><span><b> </b></span></span></span></span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-yc9EwS_dcgU/VJ7laSQ_nvI/AAAAAAAAEus/2jVNOcx6XIQ/s1600/wps97D1.tmp_thumb%5B2%5D.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-yc9EwS_dcgU/VJ7laSQ_nvI/AAAAAAAAEus/2jVNOcx6XIQ/s1600/wps97D1.tmp_thumb%5B2%5D.png" height="111" width="200" /></a></b></span></div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span><span><b>6. Two Dogs Take Truck on Joyride:&nbsp; </b></span></span><span>A pickup truck came very close to plunging into the Arkansas River in Tulsa, Oklahoma in February. The truck, belonging to a man identified only as Scott, was parked on a hill. While Scott was inside a house, </span><span>his two dogs Luna and Roscoe were left in the truck</span><span>.</span>&nbsp; <span><span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span>"I got around to the front of the house where the truck was, and it's like not there," he said. "And I was like 'did I get towed?' and I just thought no it didn't.</span></span>&nbsp; <span style="font-family: inherit;"><span>One of the dogs put the car into gear and they took off.</span></span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span>&nbsp; "Approximately three blocks down a hill," Tulsa fire-fighter Clay Ayers said.&nbsp; The dogs missed drivers on Riverside Drive, runners on the trail and narrowly missed landing in the Arkansas River.</span></span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span>&nbsp; The truck was stopped by the brush along the river. The vehicle was badly damaged. Roscoe and Luna were uninjured, and were let go with a warning.&nbsp; <i><b>Our local cops would have wanted to put these dogs down.</b></i></span></span></span><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Ersx7jjIWGA/VJ7ljYBy-3I/AAAAAAAAEu0/FWJ-1Q5iEzU/s1600/wps2DC4.tmp_thumb%5B2%5D.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Ersx7jjIWGA/VJ7ljYBy-3I/AAAAAAAAEu0/FWJ-1Q5iEzU/s1600/wps2DC4.tmp_thumb%5B2%5D.png" height="133" width="200" /></a></div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span><b>5. Virginia Man Claims African Country to Make Daughter a Princess:&nbsp; </b></span><span>Bir Tawil is a stretch of land between Egypt and Sudan that neither country wants. Jeremiah Heaton of Abingdon, Virginia, now claims it as his own. Last winter, Heaton’s six-year-old daughter Emily asked him if she could be a princess. He said yes, and has worked since then to make it so. To that end, Heaton has claimed the 800-square-mile territory of Bir Tawil, renaming it the Kingdom of North Sudan. He planted a flag there on June 16, Emily’s seventh birthday. That makes him the king, and Emily a princess. </span></span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span>Sheila Carapico, professor of political science and international studies at the University of Richmond, told the Bristol Herald Courier last week that Heaton would need legal recognition from neighbouring countries, the United Nations or other groups to have actual political control of the land.</span><span>&nbsp; Heaton, who ran for Congress out of Virginia’s 9th district in 2012 and lost, plans to reach out to the African Union for assistance in formally establishing the Kingdom of North Sudan and said that he is confident they will welcome him. Representatives from the Egyptian and Sudanese embassies in Washington did not respond to requests for comment Saturday.</span><span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span>&nbsp; The area is desert, but Heaton plans to turn it into an agricultural area, which should please both Egypt and Sudan.&nbsp;<i><b> Looks like an easy attack for Isis.</b></i></span><i><b><a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/va-man-plants-flag-claims-african-country-calling-it-kingdom-of-north-sudan/2014/07/12/abfbcef2-09fc-11e4-8a6a-19355c7e870a_story.html"><span></span></a><span><br /></span></b></i></span></span><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-XbkJVr8r-Gk/VJ7lux0wDZI/AAAAAAAAEu8/UG-34-wBQrg/s1600/wps77A1.tmp_thumb%5B2%5D.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-XbkJVr8r-Gk/VJ7lux0wDZI/AAAAAAAAEu8/UG-34-wBQrg/s1600/wps77A1.tmp_thumb%5B2%5D.png" height="133" width="200" /></a></div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span></span></span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span><span><b>4. Car Enters Garage Through the Roof:&nbsp; </b></span></span><span>George Strother and his wife, of Escondido, California, thought they felt an earthquake early on December 10th. It was only when an Escondido police officer knocked on their door that they found out </span><span>a car had crashed through the roof of their garage!</span><span> A BMW had broken through the roof and landed on Strother’s Nissan Pathfinder. His Mazda Miata was also damaged by the falling roof. The driver of the BMW, which was loaned out from a car dealer, didn’t stick around to face the damage. The Strothers' home sits around twenty feet below a roadway, and police estimate that the driver of the BMW took a turnoff too fast. The garage can be repaired, but the two cars were totaled.&nbsp; <i><b>How did that car get up there?&nbsp; </b></i></span></span></span><br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-OwZRhj8l6Kk/VJ7l8YGnM2I/AAAAAAAAEvE/Ms_J0zOaQs4/s1600/wps2A28.tmp_thumb%5B2%5D.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-OwZRhj8l6Kk/VJ7l8YGnM2I/AAAAAAAAEvE/Ms_J0zOaQs4/s1600/wps2A28.tmp_thumb%5B2%5D.png" height="120" width="200" /></a></b></span></div><span style="font-size: small;"><b>3. Risque Ads Cause 517 Auto Accidents in Moscow:&nbsp; </b><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span>The Russian firm </span><span>ADVtruck</span><span> sells advertising on large trucks. As a promotional stunt intended to show how noticeable the ads are, 30 trucks were decorated with a picture of a woman’s breasts. In the first day that the trucks were deployed in Moscow, </span><span>517 traffic accidents were blamed on the distracting image</span><span>. Moscow police were dispatched to impound all the trucks until the pictures were removed. The ad agency says that the company will compensate drivers for any damages that their insurance does not cover.&nbsp;<i><b> Looks like the high beams must have blinded drivers.</b></i></span></span></span><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-HW8NeULmFcw/VJ7mKa9A6fI/AAAAAAAAEvM/MxQJD_ZrhAQ/s1600/wpsA249.tmp_thumb%5B2%5D.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-HW8NeULmFcw/VJ7mKa9A6fI/AAAAAAAAEvM/MxQJD_ZrhAQ/s1600/wpsA249.tmp_thumb%5B2%5D.png" height="133" width="200" /></a></div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span><span><b>2. China Performs Cavity Searches on 10,000 Pigeons:&nbsp; </b></span></span><span>October first is National Day in China, commemorating the founding of the People’s Republic in 1949. As part of the celebration in Beijing, 10,000 pigeons were released over Tienanmen Square. But first, </span><span>each pigeon had to undergo a security check</span><span>, which included an anal probe. The process was videotaped by authorities. The procedure drew widespread derision on social media.</span></span></span> <br /> <div style="text-align: justify;"><blockquote><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><span style="font-family: Georgia,&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,serif;"><span>“I have not heard of pigeons released at National Day requiring security checks, but it is possible for them to carry things such as explosives,” Mr Yang of website China Pigeon Net, told the New York Times.</span></span></i></span><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><span style="font-family: Georgia,&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,serif;"><span>&nbsp; “They could carry something on their legs, under a wing, or in their anus. If they carried out security checks they would find them, just like on a person when they get on an airplane,” Mr Yang said.</span></span></i></span> </blockquote></div><div align="justify"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span>That last sentence should make anyone wary of booking a flight out of a Chinese airport.&nbsp; <i><b>Only in China!</b></i></span></span></span></div><div align="justify"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span>&nbsp;</span></span></span></div><div align="justify"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-CUG_pJQpE7s/VJ7mY4YKUAI/AAAAAAAAEvU/TYylZX2y23g/s1600/wps1B15.tmp_thumb%5B2%5D.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-CUG_pJQpE7s/VJ7mY4YKUAI/AAAAAAAAEvU/TYylZX2y23g/s1600/wps1B15.tmp_thumb%5B2%5D.png" height="113" width="200" /></a></div><div align="justify"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span><span><b>1. Man Fights Off Shark, Stitches Up Leg, Goes to Pub:&nbsp; </b></span></span><span>James Grant of Colac Bay, New Zealand, was spear fishing with friends when he was attacked by a shark. He stabbed the shark with a knife, which caused it to leave. When he got out of the water, he saw </span><a href="http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/jan/28/doctor-fights-shark-stitches-up-leg?CMP=twt_gu"><span>a deep gash in his leg</span></a><span> where the shark bit him. Grant, a junior doctor, removed his wetsuit and stitched up the wound, using supplies from a first aid kit. Then he and his friends went to the Colac Bay Tavern. The bar staff gave him a towel because his wound was bleeding onto the floor. Sometime afterward, he went to a hospital for a proper re-stitching. Grant planned to return to the water as soon as the stitches are out.&nbsp;<i><b> This is my kind of guy!</b></i></span></span></span></div><div align="justify"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span>&nbsp;</span></span></span></div><div align="justify"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span>There you have it.&nbsp; The Top 10 Crazy Stories from around the world in 2014.&nbsp; I'm sure next year at this time we will be posting even crazier stories. &nbsp; </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: medium;"></span></span></span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: medium;"></span> </span><span><span></span></span><span><span></span> </span></span></span><div align="justify"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span><span></span> </span></span></span></div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></span><div align="justify"></div></div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">&nbsp; </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><br /></span></span></span></div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: medium;"></span> </span></span></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span><span></span>&nbsp; </span></span></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span>THE RIGHT TO GRIPE - J. M.http://www.blogger.com/profile/04193784424776041797noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3489343629545026249.post-78381893874327029512014-12-25T12:32:00.003-05:002014-12-25T12:32:46.909-05:00Happy Birthday R2G<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-X-p4ZpLLr7o/VJxKGnNZl4I/AAAAAAAAEtw/jYTrJrKmS3M/s1600/r2g%2Blogo%2Bpic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-X-p4ZpLLr7o/VJxKGnNZl4I/AAAAAAAAEtw/jYTrJrKmS3M/s1600/r2g%2Blogo%2Bpic.jpg" height="200" width="144" /></a>Wow, I can't believe that it's been 5 years since I started the Right To Gripe.&nbsp; It all started in December 2009 with everyone being politically correct and saying Happy Holidays instead of Merry Christmas.&nbsp; By the way, Merry Christmas to all my Gripers.&nbsp; If you want me to say Happy Holidays, forget about it.&nbsp; Not gonna happen.&nbsp; It's Merry Christmas or for our Jewish friends Happy Hanukkah.&nbsp; Five years ago on this day I wrote my 2nd Gripe shortly followed by a 3rd and 4th and so on and so forth.&nbsp; It's been a half a decade of Griping about topics from government to sports to the idiotic people we all encounter every day in our lives.&nbsp; In 5 years we have gotten 89,919 hits from all over the world.&nbsp; The R2G is an international hot spot to Gripe.<br /><br />The top story of all time on the R2G was The Top 10 Crazy Stories of 2012.&nbsp; I got 18,345 hits for this story.&nbsp; The Zombie Apocalypse in May of 2012 came in second with 4,429 hits.&nbsp; Other top Gripes included the Tattooed Baby and Death By Dangling, The 38DD Killer.&nbsp; Over the years we reported and bashed the Kids For Cash participants.&nbsp; Good ole' Chivarella, Conahan and Mericle provided us with weeks worth of Gripe.&nbsp; We drilled the County on their Levy Tax as well as many other insane decisions that they have made over the years.&nbsp; It's been 5 years of great Griping.<br /><br />Over the years, the R2G has been read by people all over the world.&nbsp; How do I know this?&nbsp; I know because the blog keeps track of these things.&nbsp; Hell, I'm not smart enough to figure it out myself.&nbsp; Of course, most of our hits come from the USA, 49,622.&nbsp; The second most hits come from our friends in Germany, 6,316 followed by France, 3,480.&nbsp; Maybe I should stop calling the French Cheese Eating Surrender Monkeys....NOT!&nbsp; We even get hits from China, Latvia, United Kingdom, Ukraine, Russia, Canada and Turkey. We are International baby! <br /><br />It's been 5 years of Griping and believe you me there is more to come.&nbsp; Our side bar features will continue and we have gotten another one year commitment from our good friend Mr. Pissed Off.&nbsp; He's told me that he thinks he will be more pissed off in 2015 than ever.&nbsp; I love this guy.&nbsp; To all of you that come to the R2G, thank you for keeping me motivated to Gripe.&nbsp; 2015 is looking to be another great year of Griping.&nbsp; If you have a Gripe, post it up on our Facebook page or email it to the email address at the top of the Gripe page.&nbsp; We will need to keep this thing going so everyone can lay down some Gripe. <br /><br /><br />THE RIGHT TO GRIPE - J. M.http://www.blogger.com/profile/04193784424776041797noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3489343629545026249.post-56352640935167244022014-12-20T12:32:00.003-05:002014-12-20T12:32:46.507-05:00PA Game Commission<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Hi4780agUTc/VJWv_Km_EsI/AAAAAAAAEsA/gvO4-mkv1kQ/s1600/1pagame.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Hi4780agUTc/VJWv_Km_EsI/AAAAAAAAEsA/gvO4-mkv1kQ/s1600/1pagame.jpg" /></a></div>For the past two weeks Pennsylvania hunters have hit the woods to try to bag a white tail deer.&nbsp; Before going out, most "good" hunters will scan over the PA Game regulations to check for any changes.&nbsp; This is a good practice since over the years, the Game Commission has changed the regulations concerning the harvest of antlered deer.&nbsp; Years ago, if it had antlers of any length it was good to shoot.&nbsp; Then it changed to the antlers had to be 3 inches in length or more on what we call a spiker.&nbsp; Now, there has to be at least 3 points on one side to harvest.&nbsp; The exception to this rule is that a junior hunter can harvest a spiker during the hunting season and during the mentored youth hunt.&nbsp; A child must be at least 11 years old for the youth hunt.&nbsp; It is no longer as simple as pointing the gun and pulling the trigger.&nbsp; I say this because it is not as simple for some, but ignored by others.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-fXspvP5cuHw/VJWwbiWy1WI/AAAAAAAAEsI/6C3YbyQTOQM/s1600/deer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-fXspvP5cuHw/VJWwbiWy1WI/AAAAAAAAEsI/6C3YbyQTOQM/s1600/deer.jpg" height="200" width="112" /></a></div>I am one of the hunters who hits the woods every year to try to bag the elusive white tail deer.&nbsp; Me, my son and my good friend Bob W. are also hunters who abide by the rules.&nbsp; We may not like all of the rules, but they are "Da Rules" and we honor that.&nbsp; This past year, we encountered a situation where some schmuck hunter did not play by the rules.&nbsp; As we approached Bob's van after several hours in the woods we noticed a deer lying down about 20 feet from our parking spot.&nbsp; As we approached we noticed that it was a spiker that had been shot and dressed down or gutted and left there.&nbsp; There were also two young hunters, maybe in their mid 20's who were standing by their vehicle smoking cigarettes.&nbsp; They too had seen this "illegal" kill.&nbsp; To us, the carcass appeared to be about 24 hours old.&nbsp; Needless to say we were disgusted by the whole thing.&nbsp; Who would kill a spiker, gut it, drag it to the parking spot and then just leave it there?<br /><br />Since our day was over, we packed our gear and decided to stop by the Game Commission in Dallas to report the illegal kill.&nbsp; The Game Warden there was very polite and shared our disgust with what we reported.&nbsp; He assured us that a representative from Wyoming County would be notified about the illegal kill and that he would go to investigate and retrieve the dead animal.&nbsp; We left feeling a tiny bit better that next time we go out that carcass would not be there. <br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UP1PAGnXuMA/VJWyk2GQKnI/AAAAAAAAEsU/25N5WZ52CVQ/s1600/1ward.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UP1PAGnXuMA/VJWyk2GQKnI/AAAAAAAAEsU/25N5WZ52CVQ/s1600/1ward.jpg" height="185" width="200" /></a></div>With work getting in the way all week, Bob and I did not make it out to hunt until the last Saturday of the season.&nbsp; After we parked we got out and immediately noticed that the dead deer was STILL THERE!&nbsp; I believe Bob uttered the words, "Are you freakin kidding me"?&nbsp; "No one came by to pick up the carcass."&nbsp; Yep, the decomposing carcass was still there.&nbsp; No one from the PA Game Commission went by to pick it up.&nbsp; Now our disgust level just went to Defcon 1.&nbsp; Those lazy son's of bitches gave us nothing but lip service.&nbsp; They are just as bad as the hunter who illegally killed the deer and left it there.&nbsp; As a hunter of 20+ years, I had little faith in the Game Commission and now it is lowered to 0.&nbsp; These people are cop wanna-be's who love putting on a uniform to harass hunters and fisherman.&nbsp; They are quick to write out a citation as long as it does not involve them getting their hands dirty.&nbsp; I can only assume at this juncture that next year when we hit our hunting spot the remains of this illegal kill will still be there melting back into mother earth.&nbsp; To the hunter who killed this deer and to the PA Game Commission I say, "Drop dead you filthy bastards". &nbsp; &nbsp; THE RIGHT TO GRIPE - J. M.http://www.blogger.com/profile/04193784424776041797noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3489343629545026249.post-75487166213812154662014-11-30T12:06:00.003-05:002014-11-30T12:06:28.387-05:00Rest In Peace Hector<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-RyCf0i6Pb34/VHtOcKhCnbI/AAAAAAAAEq8/bAAJsGNbZKY/s1600/hector.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-RyCf0i6Pb34/VHtOcKhCnbI/AAAAAAAAEq8/bAAJsGNbZKY/s1600/hector.jpg" /></a></div>A familiar site in the downtown Tunkhannock area has passed away.&nbsp; Gunned down in the streets in the prime of life.&nbsp; Hector, the name folks in this quiet town gave to the daily visitor will forever be remembered by many.&nbsp; You see, Hector was quite a bird.&nbsp; Yes, a bird, a turkey to be exact.&nbsp; Hector was often seen peering into business windows wondering what was going on inside.&nbsp; He was often seen tapping on the front doors of the Hampton Inn, looking for a quiet room I guess.&nbsp; He stopped traffic many a time to work his way across the street.&nbsp; It makes me think of the joke, "why does a chicken cross the road"?&nbsp; In this case it was a turkey.&nbsp; The answer, to get to one of the stores on the other side.&nbsp; Hector would saunter right up the middle of the Main Street while he took in all of the sites.&nbsp; Nothing seemed to bother good ole' Hector, not cars, trucks or even police sirens.&nbsp; He was the perfect guest.<br /><br />Hector was a popular bird in the town of Tunkhannock.&nbsp; The town adopted him and was moving to officially name the bird, Hector.&nbsp; Hell, even the mayor gave Hector a pardon for Thanksgiving.&nbsp; He was free to roam around the town in total safety.&nbsp; Everybody loved Hector.&nbsp; Everybody that is except the evil Pennsylvania Game Commission.<br /><br />You see, the Game Commission deemed Hector a hazard and disposed of the loved gobbler.&nbsp; One day he was there and then the next, gone never to return.&nbsp; They murdered Hector in cold blood.&nbsp; Gunned him down in the streets like a criminal.&nbsp; The murdering bastards of the Game Commission could have trapped Hector but instead chose to end his life with one shot.&nbsp; Why, who knows.&nbsp; The Pa. Game Commission is staffed with a bunch of power hungry morons who think that they rule the world.&nbsp; They could have easily trapped the bird and then set her free in the woods.&nbsp; No, instead some game goof murdered Hector and most likely took her home for a meal.&nbsp; If I was the Mayor of Tunkhannock I would want answers.&nbsp; Why did the kill poor old Hector.&nbsp; I would have run the Game Commission clowns out of town on a rail.&nbsp; The Mayor should have told them to let Hector alone.&nbsp; Instead the Game goons rode in and opened fire like the Clanton gang.<br /><br />Yes, Hector will be missed in Tunkhannock.&nbsp; People will still talk about the turkey who came to town.&nbsp; Hector had people talking to each other.&nbsp; He brought the community together for a short period of time.&nbsp; It seems to me that more of our towns need a Hector, especially during this holiday season.&nbsp; People have drifted apart and inspirations like Hector can pull a community together.&nbsp; Rest In Piece Hector.&nbsp; THE RIGHT TO GRIPE - J. M.http://www.blogger.com/profile/04193784424776041797noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3489343629545026249.post-19256459366143531912014-11-05T06:41:00.000-05:002014-11-05T06:41:50.587-05:00College Football Committee (Week 1)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-QKqrMyJkY0Q/VFoMsjGb6ZI/AAAAAAAAEqI/K5cC3EVSjpI/s1600/cflogo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-QKqrMyJkY0Q/VFoMsjGb6ZI/AAAAAAAAEqI/K5cC3EVSjpI/s1600/cflogo.jpg" height="149" width="200" /></a></div>Almost two years ago, the NCAA announced that there would finally be a playoff system put in place to name the National Champion.&nbsp; After years and years of controversy and long debates, now a 4 team playoff will happen with the winner claiming the much heralded title.&nbsp; These two playoff games will be held every year at the sites of the major bowls and will rotate around.&nbsp; The top 4 teams to make this playoff as well as the picks for the other major bowls will be selected by a panel of 12 experts.&nbsp; These "experts" will be chosen based on their experience and knowledge of the game.&nbsp; Leading this selection committee is the Vice Chairman &amp; Director of Athletics for the University of Arkansas Jeff Long.&nbsp; Just for reference, Arkansas is in the SEC or South East Conference.&nbsp; Below is the remainder of the members.<br /><br />Barry Alvarez - Wisconsin AD (Big 10 Conference)<br />LT. General Mike Gould -Former Superintendent of the Air Force Academy (WAC Conference)<br />Pat Hayden - USC AD (Pac 12 Conference)<br />Tom Jernstedt - Former NCAA Executive V.P.<br />Oliver Luck - AD West Virginia (ACC Conference)<br />Archie Manning - Former Mississippi QB (SEC Conference)<br />Tom Osbourne - Former AD and Head Coach of Nebraska (Big 12 Conference)<br />Dan Radakovich - AD Clemson (ACC Conference)<br />Condoleezza Rice - Stanford Professor and Former Sec. of State (Pac 12 Conference)<br />Mike Tranghese - Former Commish for the Big East<br />Steve Weinberg - Former Football Reporter for USA Today<br />Tyrone Willingham - Former Head Coach at 3 different universities. <br /><br />Well, Last week, this selection committee or what I call the ICC (Insane Clown Committee) released their first ever playoff poll.&nbsp; Just when you thought college football got it right, BAM, total bedlam.&nbsp; Sports reporters all over the country shook their heads in disbelief as teams like Ohio St (16), Notre Dame (10) and Alabama (6) were shunned by the ICC.&nbsp; All three teams have 1 loss as do many others.&nbsp; Of course the two undefeated teams, Miss. St and Florida St were ranked 1and 2 respectfully.&nbsp; At #3 was Auburn, how I don't know.&nbsp; In the final playoff spot after week one was Ole Miss who lost to #24 LSU by 3 points at home.&nbsp; Again, total confusion on this pick.&nbsp; The ICC tells us that both Auburn and Ole Miss have more "quality wins".&nbsp; I say bull honkey to that.&nbsp; Ole Miss beat Alabama, the only "quality" win that I see.&nbsp; Auburn beat LSU, a "quality win" but lost to Miss St at home by 15 points.<br /><br />Ok, I think I get the Ohio St slot since they lost to a 4-4 Virginia Tech team by two touchdowns and have what I see as 0 "quality wins".&nbsp; As for Alabama, they lost to Ole Miss at home by 5 points and have again what I see as 0 quality wins.&nbsp; Notre Dame at #10 is a big joke.&nbsp; They lost to #2 Florida St in Florida St by 4 points on a bum offensive pass interference call with little time left in the game that took away the winning TD.&nbsp; Don't get me going on that!&nbsp; ND has one "quality" win over Stanford.&nbsp; The #10 ranking does not make any sense.&nbsp; I could go on and on and on about several other teams, but I won't.<br /><br />Coming up....The week 2 abomination.&nbsp; <br /><br />THE RIGHT TO GRIPE - J. M.http://www.blogger.com/profile/04193784424776041797noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3489343629545026249.post-44024045113850977382014-10-03T06:41:00.000-04:002014-10-03T06:41:03.507-04:00Pa Game Commission (Update)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-TC_6XrplniQ/VC59MmywRQI/AAAAAAAAEo8/kie5jGecyYM/s1600/1PaG.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-TC_6XrplniQ/VC59MmywRQI/AAAAAAAAEo8/kie5jGecyYM/s1600/1PaG.jpg" height="200" width="200" /></a></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">It looks like the Pa Game Commission has done a 360 degree turn on their decision to allow people to hunt in the area of the Eric Frein manhunt.&nbsp; The temporary ban on hunting came after State Police voiced concern for the safety of the hunters.&nbsp; Earlier this week they found home made explosives in the woods which they think were made by Frein.&nbsp;&nbsp;</span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><i><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: white; color: black; display: inline ! important; float: none; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 16.8px; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><i><b>Game Commission Executive Director R. Matt</b><b>hew Hough said the executive order closes hunting and trapping seasons in Price, Barrett and Paradise townships in Monroe County, and Blooming Grove, Porter, Lehman and Greene townships in Pike County. The townships are within the Wildlife Management Unit 3D, the commission said. The closure will affect all private and public lands, including portions of state game lands 180, 183 and 221.</b></i></span></span></i></b></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">Well, someone came to</span></span><b><i><b> </b></i></b>their senses and it wasn't the morons at the Pa Game Commission.&nbsp; My guess is that after their first announcement, the State Police rang them up and asked if they had lost their minds.<br style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: black; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 16.7999992370605px; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;" /><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: black; display: inline !important; float: none; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 16.7999992370605px; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-converted-space"></span></span>THE RIGHT TO GRIPE - J. M.http://www.blogger.com/profile/04193784424776041797noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3489343629545026249.post-44468220766493702452014-10-03T06:27:00.001-04:002014-10-03T06:27:12.645-04:00Paper or Plastic<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-P-uJ6H_C-WQ/VC55mrdoCII/AAAAAAAAEoo/9UmlzqxyoPo/s1600/1bag.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-P-uJ6H_C-WQ/VC55mrdoCII/AAAAAAAAEoo/9UmlzqxyoPo/s1600/1bag.jpg" height="149" width="200" /></a></div>Paper or Plastic?&nbsp; Remember that question being asked of you while checking out at the grocery store?&nbsp; You do not hear this any more because all stores have either gone to or assume that you want plastic.&nbsp; Everybody now a days gets plastic.&nbsp; Every store from your local grocer to Wal Mart use nothing but plastic bags.&nbsp; If your house is like mine, you probably have a special plastic bag to store all of your other plastic bags.&nbsp; If not, then you simply toss these plastic demons right in the garbage.&nbsp; If you do, shame on you!&nbsp; These bags are recyclable and do not belong in the dump.&nbsp; WOW, I sound like a bleeding heart conservationist.&nbsp; Well, here is why.&nbsp; Beginning next summer, retail businesses in the state of California will no longer be able to use single use plastic bags.&nbsp; You heard that right, the powers to be out in Calli have placed a ban on plastic bags.&nbsp; They say that these little devil bags are contributing to high amounts of pollution in the state.&nbsp; In a statement to the media Governor Edmund Brown said,<br /><span style="font-size: small;"><b><i><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #151515; display: inline ! important; float: none; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 26px; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><i><b>"This bill is </b><b>a step in the right direction -- it reduces the torrent of plastic polluting our beaches, parks and even the vast ocean itself.&nbsp; We're the first to ban these bags, and we won't be the last."</b></i></span> </span></i></b></span><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kP-f0qaWUIs/VC55u5f5reI/AAAAAAAAEow/rtyRseOi3zs/s1600/11bag.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kP-f0qaWUIs/VC55u5f5reI/AAAAAAAAEow/rtyRseOi3zs/s1600/11bag.jpg" height="200" width="174" /></a></div>I have to tell you that I agree.&nbsp; Everyday I see these plastic tumbleweeds rolling around the streets of our area.&nbsp; They are everywhere.&nbsp; However, I have kept the best part of this ban a secret until now.&nbsp; Brace yourself for the kick in the ca hones.&nbsp; Instead of using plastic, retailers will be able to offer recycled or paper bags at a charge of $0.10 per bag.&nbsp; In addition, California will use $2 million dollars in state backed loans to help businesses transition away from plastic.&nbsp; WHAT!&nbsp; WHAT!&nbsp; ARE YOU FREAKIN KIDDING ME!&nbsp; Ten cents a bag and $2 million to help stores out!&nbsp; This makes my head explode.<br /><br />Here is a novel idea, why don't we fine and arrest the clowns that litter these bags all over the place.&nbsp; It's not the bags, its the morons that throw them all over the place.&nbsp; Let's also hold the garbage and recycling jockeys who pick up trash accountable for not letting these bags get loose.&nbsp; If they do, these guys need to pick them up.&nbsp; Let's hold the dumps and landfills accountable to keep this stuff in check while its on their property.&nbsp; Don't get me wrong here, I HATE these bags with a passion.&nbsp; They are like a boil on my ass.&nbsp; I can't get rid of them.&nbsp; However, let's not force people to pay for paper bags.&nbsp; This is just another example of the government forcing a dumb law down the throats of "We The People".&nbsp; Governor Brown is correct when he says that California won't be the last.&nbsp; I can see our pinhead Governor Corbett and his staff drawing up the ban right now.&nbsp; Hell, why would we simply ask people to be accountable? &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; THE RIGHT TO GRIPE - J. M.http://www.blogger.com/profile/04193784424776041797noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3489343629545026249.post-68327992244147112152014-09-30T06:22:00.001-04:002014-09-30T06:22:21.795-04:00The Pa Game Commission<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-GJUYIhfiR6o/VCqEIxDnjbI/AAAAAAAAEoY/6MIY2Gn5Qgs/s1600/1PaG.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-GJUYIhfiR6o/VCqEIxDnjbI/AAAAAAAAEoY/6MIY2Gn5Qgs/s1600/1PaG.jpg" height="200" width="200" /></a></div>The Pennsylvania Game or should I say "Shame" Commission announced on Monday afternoon that it would not restrict hunting in the area that police are searching for ambush killer Eric Frein.&nbsp; The area along the Monroe and Pike County line will be open to bow hunters in October.&nbsp; WHAT! WHAT!&nbsp; ARE YOU FREAKIN KIDDING ME!&nbsp; This may be one of the most idiotic decisions that I have ever heard.&nbsp; There has been a three week manhunt going on for a survivalist who ambushed two State Troopers, killing one and wounding the other.&nbsp; My brains started to leek out of my ears when I heard this announced.&nbsp; In their statement, the "Shame" Commission said,<br /><br /><i><b>"Hunters should use common sense and not interfere with the search.&nbsp; Hunters should wear fluorescent orange on their head, chest and back, which is not usually required until a later part of the hunting season. "</b></i><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">This statement alone makes your head swell.&nbsp; First off the vast majority of people in general don't have a lick of common sense.&nbsp; As I always said, "The Masses Are Idiots."&nbsp; I can see it now, actual hunters along with a multitude of nimrods packing the woods so they can be the ones to say they caught Eric Frein.&nbsp; By the way, there is a $100,000 reward for his capture.&nbsp; Mark my words, someone will get killed during archery season.&nbsp; I can't believe that the PA State Police are allowing this to happen.&nbsp; It will be sheer bedlam in the woods on the first day of archery.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Once again, the PA "Shame" Commission makes another really dumb decision.&nbsp; I am a hunter and I have seen one bad decision after another being put in play.&nbsp; This group of mental midgets have ruined hunting in the state of Pennsylvania, especially on State Game Lands.&nbsp; Game is non existent in these areas.&nbsp; Hell, up on the Game Lands in Thornhurst you can't even find a squirrel.&nbsp; The place is dead.&nbsp; This latest decision sums up the state of despair that our Game Commission is in.&nbsp; It's time to clean house and put people in place that actually know what they are doing.&nbsp; Right now there is not a shred of common sense in the bunch when it comes to the Pennsylvania "Shame" Commission. &nbsp; &nbsp; </div>THE RIGHT TO GRIPE - J. M.http://www.blogger.com/profile/04193784424776041797noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3489343629545026249.post-49997164693055659262014-09-27T07:30:00.001-04:002014-09-27T07:46:43.812-04:00Gripe Shots<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-PuAjJohg3Sc/VCaik6sGNnI/AAAAAAAAEnE/dUycxcASSkI/s1600/Gripeshots1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-PuAjJohg3Sc/VCaik6sGNnI/AAAAAAAAEnE/dUycxcASSkI/s1600/Gripeshots1.jpg" height="200" width="200" /></a></div>It's been some time since I spouted off here and boy am I ready.&nbsp; Let's pull up a stool and belly up to the bar.&nbsp; Gripetender, pour me a few Gripe Shots.<br /><br />It's fall and that means the start of the National Football League season.&nbsp; I know many people out there are thrilled about NFL football starting but I am not one of them.&nbsp; It seems every year I write about the NFL and how boring the games are.&nbsp; This season is no different.&nbsp; I sat down on week one to watch a few games and BAM, I went right to sleep.&nbsp; These games just plain suck!&nbsp; They are slow and predictable at best.&nbsp; The announcers suck and so do more than half of the teams.&nbsp; Watching a game on TV is like watching grass grow.&nbsp; The game starts with a 30 second kick off, followed by 3 or 4 minutes of commercials and then 3 plays and a punt followed by 3 or 4 minutes of commercials.&nbsp; God forbid if someone scores a touchdown.&nbsp; Its the TD, commercials, the extra point, commercials, the kick off and you guessed it, more commercials.&nbsp; There are more commercials than actual game time.&nbsp; Of course before the game, at half time and then after the game we have countless minutes of 5,6 and sometimes 7 so called experts numbing our brains with useless tripe concerning the league.&nbsp; I can't watch it, I just can't.<br /><br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kEJJuNaGl7s/VCai_5Ay3PI/AAAAAAAAEnM/dBWsMr2qF_8/s1600/1sh.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kEJJuNaGl7s/VCai_5Ay3PI/AAAAAAAAEnM/dBWsMr2qF_8/s1600/1sh.jpg" height="142" width="200" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">WB Police at Sherman Hills</td></tr></tbody></table>Over the past few months, Wilkes-Barre Police have responded to several shootings and stabbings at the Sherman Hills/Coal Street Housing Project.&nbsp; Do I need to say more, YES!&nbsp; This Low Income scum pit has become a nesting place for riff raff from New York, New Jersey and Philly.&nbsp; They come to the Valley to settle in while bringing their Wild, Wild West ways to the area.&nbsp; I for one am sick and tired of reading about it.&nbsp; The City of Wilkes-Barre needs to shut this pig pen down and take a bulldozer to it.&nbsp; I had the chance to talk to a resident that lived on Walters Way which is right across the street.&nbsp; He echoed by thoughts and felt that dynamite was the answer.&nbsp; Let's get this rats nest shut down and send these filthy animals back where they came from.<br /><br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yhgKAQRm1PA/VCajimMZtqI/AAAAAAAAEnU/zj-N8UWLp-A/s1600/1frein.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yhgKAQRm1PA/VCajimMZtqI/AAAAAAAAEnU/zj-N8UWLp-A/s1600/1frein.jpg" height="145" width="200" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Eric Frein</td></tr></tbody></table>Finally, a few thoughts on Pa State Trooper ambush suspect Eric Frein,&nbsp; Actually, one word, coward.&nbsp; This jerk ambushed two Troopers at the Blooming Grove barracks on September 12th killing one and wounding the other.&nbsp; He has eluded the Dragnet now for 15 days in the woods near Canadensis.&nbsp; Police don't seem to be any closer to catching this murderer.&nbsp; Frien is a survivalist with the skills to stay hidden for a long time.&nbsp; Police believe that he a armed and dangerous.&nbsp; No shit Sherlock.&nbsp; The search has been slow through the woods due to the belief that Frein had knowledge of using explosives.&nbsp; It was reported that authorities had him contained within a 5 mile wooded area.&nbsp; In the end, I suspect he will go out guns a blazing.&nbsp; Good Luck finding this creep.<br /><br />That's it folks.&nbsp; I have had enough Gripe to get off my chest for now.&nbsp; I know I have not been up to task recently with my posts, damn work keeps getting in the way.&nbsp; Don't fret though, I will make sure that I post up a Gripe at least once a week. &nbsp;&nbsp; THE RIGHT TO GRIPE - J. M.http://www.blogger.com/profile/04193784424776041797noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3489343629545026249.post-47366184340962718162014-08-02T10:45:00.003-04:002014-08-02T10:45:32.490-04:00Water-Boarding - No Apologies Necessary<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/--ZPkzxcgMic/U9z3thrtbjI/AAAAAAAAElA/CG76hqI9e20/s1600/2829139391_bslbmlfms_102855756630_xlarge_xlarge.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/--ZPkzxcgMic/U9z3thrtbjI/AAAAAAAAElA/CG76hqI9e20/s1600/2829139391_bslbmlfms_102855756630_xlarge_xlarge.jpeg" height="145" width="200" /></a></div>I have stated here on the R2G that I am neither a lover or hater of President Obama.&nbsp; Up until now I felt like he reigned in a gray area of dirty partisan politics.&nbsp; Business as usual, nothing accomplished.&nbsp; However, yesterday our leader sent me over the edge with his comments about the post 911 interrogations of people who our government thought may have some knowledge on who was responsible.&nbsp; In his press conference he said,<br /><br /><i><b>"It was very clear that in the immediate aftermath of 9/11, we did some things that were wrong," he said. "We did a whole lot of things that were right, but we tortured some folks. We did some things that were contrary to our values."</b></i> He added <i><b>"We crossed the line and that needs to be understood and accepted. And we have to, as a country, take responsibility for that so we don't do it in the future."</b></i><br /><br />Frankly<i><b> </b></i>when I read this I threw up three times.&nbsp; WHAT! WHAT! ARE YOU FREAKIN' KIDDING ME!&nbsp; Of course we tortured the crap out of a few slimy people who had connections to Osama Bin Laden and his gang of murderers.&nbsp; What else would he want us to do?&nbsp; Give them cake and ice cream and ask them nicely to give us the information.&nbsp; Of course not.&nbsp; The only way to get info out of these scum bags is to strap them onto a wooden table and perform a little water-boarding.&nbsp; In case you don't know what water-boarding is, Wikipedia defines it as;<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-EW4R7utjUEk/U9z49nkeZWI/AAAAAAAAElI/Af0CWrKVSMo/s1600/11wb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-EW4R7utjUEk/U9z49nkeZWI/AAAAAAAAElI/Af0CWrKVSMo/s1600/11wb.jpg" height="151" width="200" /></a></div><i><b>Water-boarding is a form of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Torture" title="Torture">torture</a>, more specifically a type of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water_torture" title="Water torture">water torture</a>, in which water is poured over a cloth covering the face and breathing passages of an immobilized captive, causing the individual to experience the sensation of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drowning" title="Drowning">drowning</a>. Water-boarding can cause extreme pain, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dry_drowning" title="Dry drowning">dry drowning</a>, damage to <a class="mw-redirect" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lungs" title="Lungs">lungs</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brain_damage" title="Brain damage">brain damage</a> from <a class="mw-redirect" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oxygen_deprivation" title="Oxygen deprivation">oxygen deprivation</a>, other physical injuries including <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bone_fracture" title="Bone fracture">broken bones</a> due to struggling against restraints, lasting psychological damage, and death.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-HRW_open_letter_WB_1-0"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waterboarding#cite_note-HRW_open_letter_WB-1"><span>[</span>1<span>]</span></a></sup> Adverse physical consequences can manifest themselves months after the event, while psychological effects can last for years.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-NY_2-0"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waterboarding#cite_note-NY-2"><span>[</span>2<span>]</span></a></sup></b></i><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TzS1sQBrBtA/U9z5ENutzrI/AAAAAAAAElQ/BTAXCwC2VUY/s1600/1wb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TzS1sQBrBtA/U9z5ENutzrI/AAAAAAAAElQ/BTAXCwC2VUY/s1600/1wb.jpg" height="153" width="200" /></a></div>In my opinion, we did nothing wrong here.&nbsp; These bastards killed 2,996 people, 246 on the planes, 2606 in the WTC Towers and 125 in the Pentagon in the 911 attack on the United States.&nbsp; Two hundred and ninety two people died on the streets of New York due to falling debris or from hurling themselves out windows.&nbsp; I still get pissed off thinking about what these son's of bitches did!&nbsp; There will be no apologizes from me and there should be none from our government.&nbsp; I say torture the ever living shit out of these pigs.&nbsp; Once they give you what you need, turn them over to the American people for an old fashioned lynching.&nbsp; President Obama, you should apologize to the American people for simply bringing this up.&nbsp; Shame on you!<br /><br />P.S. Chris, you will be happy with this R2G.&nbsp;&nbsp; THE RIGHT TO GRIPE - J. M.http://www.blogger.com/profile/04193784424776041797noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3489343629545026249.post-63067521956409933342014-07-24T13:38:00.004-04:002014-07-24T13:38:46.830-04:00Gloom and Doom - We Are #1<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Y3D8lN3Z2JE/U9FDLUrZ0ZI/AAAAAAAAEkw/c8v25KblEjo/s1600/images.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Y3D8lN3Z2JE/U9FDLUrZ0ZI/AAAAAAAAEkw/c8v25KblEjo/s1600/images.jpg" height="146" width="200" /></a></div>I have been saying it all along and now it is official.&nbsp; The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Area is #1 in the Least Happiest People.&nbsp; According to a recent study done by the University of British Columbia's Vancouver School of Economics, the WB/S area has the most miserable people in the entire United States of America based on a population of 1million plus.&nbsp; Two other Pennsylvania areas cracked the top 10, Erie was number 3 and Johnstown was number 6.&nbsp; Don't get me going on Johnstown and the Flood Tax of 1919.&nbsp; So three out of the top 10 were in the Keystone state.&nbsp; All 10 unhappy areas hail from cold weather climates.&nbsp; The Southern and Western states had no cities in the top 10.&nbsp; Also states like North and South Dakota, Minnesota, Idaho and other Midwestern states were also not in the top 10.&nbsp; There goes your cold weather theory right out the door.<br /><br />Let me just say that I am not surprised by Wilkes Barre/Scranton being on the top of this list.&nbsp; We have the biggest bunch of no good, miserable sons of bitches on the planet.&nbsp; We have a bunch of low life welfare recipients here, a boat load of alleged disabled folks who think they are entitled to everything for free and a multitudes of senior citizens who are just plain nasty.&nbsp; We also have the most miserable people who think everyone is trying to either rip them off or get one up on them.&nbsp; The people of our area just plain SUCK!&nbsp; The Valley with a Heart has turned into The Valley with a Hard On.&nbsp; You say hello to a stranger on the street and they either look down or grunt and click a response.&nbsp; Who the hell knows what they are doing.&nbsp; In general we are a very unfriendly people here.<br /><br />Along with all of this, let's pile on the City of WB with 13 murders in one year, our politicians right down to the judges are corrupt and everybody and their brother is stealing from charities.&nbsp; Also, taxes keep going up and the towns keep instituting new fee's to blow because of their fiscal irresponsibility.&nbsp; The area is a mess.&nbsp; In the famous words of Jack Nicholson as The Joker, "The town needs an enema".&nbsp; I say an enema with Prozac or maybe napalm. &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; THE RIGHT TO GRIPE - J. M.http://www.blogger.com/profile/04193784424776041797noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3489343629545026249.post-28374367879098333242014-07-20T09:29:00.001-04:002014-07-20T09:29:06.150-04:00Illegal Alien Resort<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-iz3mOTrWTxY/U8vDn7QplrI/AAAAAAAAEkY/RLNapT_CPgQ/s1600/obama-orders-construction-of-50-million-dollar-luxury-hotel-for-illegal-immigrants-texas.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-iz3mOTrWTxY/U8vDn7QplrI/AAAAAAAAEkY/RLNapT_CPgQ/s1600/obama-orders-construction-of-50-million-dollar-luxury-hotel-for-illegal-immigrants-texas.jpg" height="145" width="200" /></a></div>Over the past several weeks I have been getting quite a few Gripers checking in with news stories that really tick them off.&nbsp; Of course I am unable to post on all of them, however this is one that really got my dander up.&nbsp; This came over from Chris "Strawberry" Fields&nbsp; <br /><br />As most of you know, I am not a real big Obama fan.&nbsp; I am kind of indifferent to what he is doing in Washington only because I know our government is bogged down in partisan politics.&nbsp; Both the republicans and the democrats have drawn lines in the sand and refuse to give and take an inch.&nbsp; One of the current hot topics in Washington and around the country is the increased influx of illegal immigrant children pouring over the boarder.&nbsp; These children are trying to sneak into the U.S. without their parents.&nbsp; First off, what the hell is going on here?&nbsp; The kids are trying to slide in without parents!&nbsp; Are the parents dead?&nbsp; Are they already here?&nbsp; Are these kids from orphanages?&nbsp; Nobody seems to really know what is going on here.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3RJgObS5siw/U8vDA4V-bGI/AAAAAAAAEkU/JBr9WJ388VU/s1600/th.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3RJgObS5siw/U8vDA4V-bGI/AAAAAAAAEkU/JBr9WJ388VU/s1600/th.jpg" height="112" width="200" /></a></div>To top this off, President Obama just awarded a $50 million contract to a charitable group, Baptist Child &amp; Family Services,&nbsp; so they can buy a Texas hotel and transform it into a 600 bed facility for illegal alien children.&nbsp; WHAT!&nbsp; WHAT!&nbsp; ARE YOU FREAKIN' KIDDING ME!&nbsp; The BCFS will take the Palm Aire Hotel and Suites in Weslaco, Texas and turn it into a temporary holding center for these illegal kids.&nbsp; They plan on hiring 650 employees to work at this new center.&nbsp; You may be saying, "Well what's wrong with that"?&nbsp; They can employ 650 more people while taking care of these poor kids that just went through hell and back to get into the U.S.<br /><br />Let me tell you what is wrong with this.&nbsp; This new facility will have the 600 beds along with an Olympic sized swimming pool, tennis courts, a steam room, jacuzzi s, racquetball courts and a workout room.&nbsp; To top it off, some of the jobs here will pay up to $45.00 per hour.&nbsp; HOLY CRAP!&nbsp; The democrats claim that this facility is needed to keep potential disease transmission under control by having medical staff and psychological treatment workers will on site. The average length of stay for the youths will be between the ages of 12 and 17 is fifteen days.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-TUn6g302lUU/U8vD56S4IAI/AAAAAAAAEkg/gDkY1vUnXv4/s1600/imagesCA9L2SL6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-TUn6g302lUU/U8vD56S4IAI/AAAAAAAAEkg/gDkY1vUnXv4/s1600/imagesCA9L2SL6.jpg" height="116" width="200" /></a></div>After I read this story I felt like I just got kicked in the taxpayers testicles.&nbsp; I thought I may have seen my wallet open up on its own and dollar bills fly out the window.&nbsp; It just amazes me as to how much money the United States pays to help people from other countries.&nbsp; We spend, spend, spend while the people in this country are unemployed and eating in soup kitchens.&nbsp; We actually have U.S. citizens who are starving and have no idea where their next meal is coming from.&nbsp; We have people without health care and people without a roof over their heads.&nbsp; Instead of helping these folks out, we spend money on others like we are printing it.&nbsp; Hey, wait a minute, we are printing it.<br /><br />The Bottom line here is that our government needs to stop being the charity one stop shop for the rest of the world.&nbsp; It's time we take care of our own and stop worrying about everyone else.&nbsp; As for these illegal immigrant kids, they need to go back to their countries.&nbsp; I know it sounds cold hearted, but America is busting from the seams with immigrants.&nbsp; Our country cannot sustain itself with the population size we currently have.&nbsp; As it grows, things will become worse.&nbsp; There will not be enough jobs, there will not be enough housing and crime will continue to rise at an alarming level.&nbsp; It's time for our President along with Congress to make some real tough decisions. &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; THE RIGHT TO GRIPE - J. M.http://www.blogger.com/profile/04193784424776041797noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3489343629545026249.post-13518652864650296522014-07-19T10:14:00.001-04:002014-07-19T10:14:02.469-04:00Blue Chip Bitten Buttocks<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SwJv3bEWRAc/U8p8-WmOtAI/AAAAAAAAEi0/xGbc-LODdbs/s1600/1angry.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SwJv3bEWRAc/U8p8-WmOtAI/AAAAAAAAEi0/xGbc-LODdbs/s1600/1angry.jpg" height="132" width="200" /></a></div>This story came over from one of our enraged Gripers, Timmy "PA Juggulo" who saw it on Times Leader.com.&nbsp; <br /><br />WILKES-BARRE — A Duryea woman is suing a Dallas animal farm, claiming she was bitten in the buttocks during a visit to the property last year.&nbsp; Kingston attorney Carl Guagliardo filed the suit in Luzerne County Court on behalf of Alicia Ciminelli.&nbsp; According to the suit, Ciminelli visited Blue Chip Farms Animal Refuge on Aug. 6 to return a cat, and employees were aware she would be coming to the farm for that purpose.&nbsp; When Ciminelli went back into her car to retrieve paperwork for the cat, a dog owned by the defendants “ran behind her and attacked her, violently biting her in the left buttock area,” the suit says.&nbsp; Ciminelli claims one count of negligence, alleging that the owners failed to restrain the dog, and did not warn her of potential danger — even though they knew or should have known the dog had a propensity to attack, according to the suit.<br /><br />Ciminelli is seeking unspecified damages for physical pain, mental anguish and loss of <a class="kLink" href="http://timesleader.com/news/local-news-news/1536529/Woman-sues-Blue-Chip-Farms-Animal-Refuge#" id="KonaLink0" style="font-family: inherit !important; font-size: inherit !important; font-weight: inherit !important; position: static; text-decoration: underline !important;"><span style="color: #737373; font-family: inherit !important; font-size: inherit !important; font-weight: inherit !important; position: static;"><span class="kLink" style="border-bottom: 3px solid rgb(115, 115, 115); color: rgb(115, 115, 115) ! important; font-family: inherit ! important; font-size: inherit ! important; font-weight: inherit ! important; position: relative;">income</span></span></a>.<br /><br />Let me just say, "WHAT, WHAT, ARE YOU FREAKIN' KIDDING ME!"&nbsp; You filthy, greedy son of a bitch!&nbsp; Who the hell would sue a non profit no kill animal shelter?&nbsp; This stuff makes me sick.&nbsp; I just threw up all over the kitchen table.&nbsp; If I were the judge here I would open the trial, ask this greedy nut job if she was breathing and then slam the gavel and tell her to get the hell out of my court room.&nbsp; The Blue Chip was good enough to take her cat but when a dog chomped down on her fat ass she now wants to sue.&nbsp; Maybe the dog thought her left hemisphere was a tasty rump roast so he took a taste.&nbsp; Who knows.&nbsp; The bottom line here is that this Alicia Ciminelli is looking to make a quick buck on taking a nip on the ass globe.&nbsp; Yea, the dog bit her.&nbsp; But c'mon, mental anguish?&nbsp; I guess she can no longer twerk like she used to.<br /><br />Thanks for the lead Tim and keep on Griping!THE RIGHT TO GRIPE - J. M.http://www.blogger.com/profile/04193784424776041797noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3489343629545026249.post-81164059914867701612014-07-13T07:06:00.004-04:002014-07-13T07:06:51.649-04:00School Taxes<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ZEJ7EjeV9FM/U8JniZNCxVI/AAAAAAAAEiU/n0qRehg0xkQ/s1600/th+(1).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ZEJ7EjeV9FM/U8JniZNCxVI/AAAAAAAAEiU/n0qRehg0xkQ/s320/th+(1).jpg" height="121" width="200" /></a></div>Here we go again. The latest figures are out and it looks like the area school taxes are on the rise again this year. Our idiotic governor Tom Corbett reluctantly signed the states fiscal budget which gave the schools a good idea of how much funding they will get for the year. "Slice and Dice" Corbett did increase funding to schools, but not as much as he promised. This sent the local school districts into a panic state since the funding was a bit slight. If you remember, Corbett "sliced and diced" the funding to schools when he took office which led to a hefty rise in school taxes. Now that it's an election year, Corbett did a turn about and threw out some money to try to bolster his failing campaign. Of course, its not enough so the taxpayers will now take on an average school tax increase of about 3%. Some districts are higher and of course some are lower.<br /><br />&nbsp;Leading the way with the largest increase is Northwest Area. They are whacking the residents a whopping 4.8%. In addition to whacking the people with a high tax increase, the school district will furlough 4 teachers and lay off another 2. Northwest area is in such financial disarray, they may be on the brink of being declared a distressed school district. It seems to me that they may need a better financial person steering that sinking ship. Coming in second is the Hazleton school district with a 3.8% increase followed by Wyoming Area at 3.2%. Believe it or not, Hanover Area will not be increasing their school taxes. Way to go Hanover!<br /><br />The bottom line here is, how much more can "We The People" be taxed? Right now more than 33% of our hard earned pay is gone for taxes. What we get from this taxation also seems to be less and less. If you think about it, the state funding for our schools comes from taxes. On top of this, we have to pay a school tax. It's a double whammy to the old pocket book. I think it's time to evaluate these big union teacher salaries. It's time to trim down their health care to match what everyone else in the business world has. No more Cadillac of health care with no co-pays. Let's base pay raises on performance and not simply because they belong in the union. In some cases the teachers union breeds mediocrity which leads to poor education. Oh, by the way, to all you history teachers out there, Columbus did not discover America. Yes, we are still teaching that in some classrooms. THE RIGHT TO GRIPE - J. M.http://www.blogger.com/profile/04193784424776041797noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3489343629545026249.post-39426182133824422842014-07-05T10:59:00.000-04:002014-07-05T11:02:34.178-04:00Happy 4th of July<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-0MoUWBJtVdI/U7gQoB-1wzI/AAAAAAAAEgU/ACY-wmjHlXA/s1600/Washington_Crossing_the_Delaware_by_Emanuel_Leutze,_MMA-NYC,_1851.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-0MoUWBJtVdI/U7gQoB-1wzI/AAAAAAAAEgU/ACY-wmjHlXA/s200/Washington_Crossing_the_Delaware_by_Emanuel_Leutze,_MMA-NYC,_1851.jpg" /></a></div>Happy Birthday America. It's the 4th of July holiday weekend and all Americans are celebrating the birth of our great nation. The founding fathers along with the colonists gave up their lives to fight the tyranny of England and King George III. The entire war was basically about freedom to make choices. It was about taxation without representation. It was all about being under the thumb of Great Britain. Our history books teach us about the Boston Tea Party, George Washington crossing the Delaware in the freezing cold and British General Cornwallis surrender at Yorktown. With the colonists victory came the shame to the British. How could they have been defeated by a rag tag bunch of misfits? The 13 colonies had no real government, no real army, no bank, no finances and no central treasury to fund the war. This was the biggest case of David versus Goliath. This band of revolutionaries led by George Washington had slain the great army of Britain. No one else in the world had been able to do this, PERIOD! The pure desire to be free led the Americans to victory. Desire, a dangerous element if you are trying to suppress it. I look back on this today and wonder, "Are our founding fathers spinning in their graves"? Our great nation has become what our early settlers despised. We are taxed out the yin yang, crime is running rampant and Washington is a disgrace. Sure, we have representation in Washington, or do we? Our representatives in the House and the Senate continue to plunge the government into chaos. Our state and local government representatives continue to add tax after tax to make up for their poor decisions which have cast our towns into a financial def-con 1. Our politicians continue to take high salaries while our people sink lower and lower into poverty. Industry continues to move out of the U.S. for cheaper labor countries like China and India. Unemployment continues to rise as does the number of people on the welfare ranks. As all of this unfolds, thousands of illegal aliens pour over the borders every day which compounds these issues 10 fold. The United States of America is sliding into the fiscal abyss and no one in government seems to give the proverbial "Rat's Ass"! Instead of making hard decisions, the government gets us bogged down into useless wars in the middle east that cost us trillions and trillions of dollars. We hand out billions of dollars to numerous countries in the form of aid. Many of these countries hate our guts, but we still give them aid. While we spend, spend, spend, the value of the American dollar drops internationally. How can we give out money we really don't have? Why are we not cutting off this charity pipeline so we help our own people. While the money spigot is open to full, our roads and bridges deteriorate to unsafe levels. More people than ever are living in the streets wondering where their next meal will come from. The Democrats blame the Republicans and visa-verse. They worry about throwing blame left and right but never come up with any answers. The fact is the government has us right where they want us. Under the thumb of tyranny. Sounds familiar doesn't it. As crime runs rampant, the police are too worried about seat belts and DUI's. Checkpoints were set up all over the valley this weekend to check for unbuckled belts and drunk drivers. Instead of closing drug houses the police are patrolling for teens who my be speeding a bit or changing lanes without a blinker. Instead of patrolling the streets in cars or on foot, they sit in stationary places waiting for someone to glide through a stop sign or yellow light. It appears that as the crime rate rises, we place fewer and fewer police on the streets due to fiscal distress. Our leaders are allowing an all out criminal assault to go unchecked. Drug dealers from New York and Philly pour into the area to peddle their crap to our citizens. While here, they murder people without remorse as if it is part of the job. It's like the Wild, Wild West and it appears that it will only get worse. Does the great United States of America have it's issues? You bet. However, she is still the greatest nation on this small planet of ours. I am not sure that I would want to live anywhere else. I have the freedom to write this blog that bashes our government representatives from all levels. If I lived in Russia or China, I would have been rounded up a long time ago and sent to Siberia or put in a prison camp. As I look at all of the fireworks, I think about how lucky I am to be an American. I just hope that our representatives can get together to come up with a plan to keep this nation great. If they don't, let's get people in there that can and will. "We The People" have the freedom to vote better people in who have the best interest of The People in mind with every decision. It's up to all of us to stay "GREAT"! THE RIGHT TO GRIPE - J. M.http://www.blogger.com/profile/04193784424776041797noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3489343629545026249.post-77292969866083120692014-06-29T14:14:00.001-04:002014-06-29T14:14:39.843-04:00Neglecting The R2G<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8_4HqtwqsLQ/U7BXDDLd2qI/AAAAAAAAEgE/EhT_1J6XvPQ/s1600/r2g+logo+pic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8_4HqtwqsLQ/U7BXDDLd2qI/AAAAAAAAEgE/EhT_1J6XvPQ/s200/r2g+logo+pic.jpg" /></a></div>I am mad at myself. In fact I kicked myself in the ass this morning and screamed, "Get back to the R2G you idiot"! Yes, I have been neglectful when it comes to Griping. Don't get me wrong, I have been vocally Griping all along. My wife can attest to this. I was driving into work the other day and she looked at me and said, "Do you know we have been in the car for just 12 minutes and you have complained the entire time"? When we stopped at the 5th red light in our path to workdom, I turned and said, "Really, I didn't know that". Of course to myself I was thinking, "YES, YOU ARE ON YOUR GAME TODAY"! You see, in just 12 minutes you can lay down at least 5 to 7 Gripes. It's easy! Once in the car you can Gripe about having to go to work. You start the car and try to back out of the driveway. Of course right at that moment a long string of cars come down the street. You can top this Gripe with none of the ungrateful bastards stopped to let you out. That is now 3 Gripes in under 5 minutes. You are on a roll! Once you get going, BAM a stop sign just 50 yards from your house. Next its BAM, a red light, followed by more red lights which are about 100 to 200 yards apart. You hit one, you're gonna hit them all. At about the third or fourth one your brain is on high Gripe alert. Everything is setting you off. You see, it's this easy. Yes, I have neglected my baby, the R2G. I have neglected it like a bad mother leaving her infant in a hot car while she hits the slots up the casino. My neglect only rivals the single mother who leaves her child with the drug riddled boyfriend. We all know the results of that misjudgement. Yep, the boyfriend shakes the crap out of the kid until the child dies. You see it at least 5 times a year. I am making a vow right now to Gripe at least once a week. I promise. If I don't, let me know and I will Gripe myself as a slacker.THE RIGHT TO GRIPE - J. M.http://www.blogger.com/profile/04193784424776041797noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3489343629545026249.post-81841644430850241132014-05-11T06:17:00.001-04:002014-05-11T06:23:29.328-04:00Happy Mothers Day - The Top 10 Most Evil Women<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Kv2-Pvf-5VE/U29HhEjCy3I/AAAAAAAAEdc/cuv54R1tzJs/s1600/468px-mary1-by-eworth-3-tm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Kv2-Pvf-5VE/U29HhEjCy3I/AAAAAAAAEdc/cuv54R1tzJs/s1600/468px-mary1-by-eworth-3-tm.jpg" height="200" width="155" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Once a year we buy gifts and pamper those women who took care of us for so many years, our Mothers. Some dads and their kids will go out shopping to buy flowers or jewelery for their moms. Some will take their mothers out for a nice dinner while others will let their moms feast with breakfast in bed. These women deserve the best on Mothers Day because they brought us into the world and nurtured us into the people that we are today. Most mothers like many women are loving, caring and compassionate. They make sure we have that lunch which was packed with love. I remember that bologna and cheese sandwich that always tasted so good simply because my mother made it. She always claimed that it was so good because she added a little love to the formula. Over the span of time, mothers have always been the focal point of the family. Holding everything together just seemed to be part of the job. Women seem to be wired for this monumental challenge. However, history has also taught us that women can sometimes be quite the opposite. So on this Mothers Day, I give you the Top 10 Most Evil Women that ever lived on planet Earth.</span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Times,&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,serif;"> <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>10. Queen Mary I:</b> Mary was the only child of Henry VII and Catherine of Aragon to live past infancy. Mary is remembered for temporarily and violently returning England to Catholicism. Many prominent Protestants were executed on her command for their beliefs leading to her moniker of Bloody Mary. Ah, now you know where the drink got its name from.</span></span></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-zjI6sxFa_do/U29H4SWVO2I/AAAAAAAAEdg/eX1WTsz_vho/s1600/myra-hindley-ms-tm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-zjI6sxFa_do/U29H4SWVO2I/AAAAAAAAEdg/eX1WTsz_vho/s1600/myra-hindley-ms-tm.jpg" height="120" width="74" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>9. Myra Hindley:</b>&nbsp; This wonderful woman along with Ian Brady were responsible for the "Moors Murders" in Manchester England in the 1960's. These two monsters were responsible for the kidnapping, sexual abuse, torture and murder of three children under the age of twelve and two teenagers 16 and 17. A key found in Myra's possession led to incriminating evidence that was stored in a locker at Manchester Central Station. The evidence included a tape recording of one of the murder victims screaming as Hindley and Brady raped and tortured her. While on trial for these vicious acts, Myra and her mother Nellie were seen eating candy, uncaring of the trial or the crimes.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-rkSwcib1BbE/U29IR64qJ7I/AAAAAAAAEdo/Tfdc6dvrD2o/s1600/irma-grese-tm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-rkSwcib1BbE/U29IR64qJ7I/AAAAAAAAEdo/Tfdc6dvrD2o/s1600/irma-grese-tm.jpg" height="100" width="100" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>8. Irma Grese:&nbsp;</b> Irma was employed at the Nazi concentration camps of Ravensbrück and Auschwitz, and was a warden of the women’s section of Bergen-Belsen. She was convicted for crimes against humanity at the Belsen Trial and sentenced to death. She loved torture via different painful methods and wore heavy boots as a habit. She also carried a pistol for the facilitation of her various purposes. Executed at 22 years, 67 days of age, Grese was the youngest woman to die judicially under English law in the 20th century, on 13 December 1945, Hamelin, Germany. She was nicknamed “the Beast of Belsen”, “The Beautiful Beast”, and “Die Hyäne von Auschwitz”.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sQOuGpN_J6U/U29IgstQ3KI/AAAAAAAAEdw/oDEnZ84Vlrk/s1600/Beverly-Allitt.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sQOuGpN_J6U/U29IgstQ3KI/AAAAAAAAEdw/oDEnZ84Vlrk/s1600/Beverly-Allitt.jpg" height="128" width="200" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>7. Beverly Allitt: &nbsp;</b> The Angel of Death, Beverley Gail Allitt is an English serial killer one of the 10 most evil women. She was convicted of murdering four children, attempting to murder three other children, and causing grievous bodily harm to a further six children. The crimes were committed over a period of 59 days between February and April 1991 in the children’s ward at Grantham and Kesteven Hospital, Lincolnshire, where Allitt was employed as a State Enrolled Nurse. She administered large doses of insulin to at least two victims and a large air bubble was found in the body of another, but police were unable to establish how all the attacks were carried out. In May 1993, at Nottingham Crown Court, she received 13 life sentences for the crimes. Mr. Justice Latham, sentencing, told Allitt that she was “a serious danger” to others and was unlikely ever to be considered safe enough to be released. She is detained at Rampton Secure Hospital in Nottinghamshire.</span></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Q_hYUOrDfYk/U29Iso579II/AAAAAAAAEd4/J-EkHtXO-Rc/s1600/Belle-Gunness-with-children.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Q_hYUOrDfYk/U29Iso579II/AAAAAAAAEd4/J-EkHtXO-Rc/s1600/Belle-Gunness-with-children.jpg" height="130" width="200" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>6. Belle Gunness:</b>&nbsp; Standing six feet tall and weighing over 91 kg, a physically strong woman, Belle Gunness was one of America’s most degenerate and productive female serial killers. She was an imposing and powerful woman of Norwegian descent. It is likely that she killed both her husbands and all of her children at different times, but it is certain that she murdered most of her suitors, boyfriends, and her two daughters, Myrtle and Lucy. The motive was greed-pure and simple; life insurance policies and assets stolen or swindled from her suitors became her source of income. Most reports put her death toll at more than twenty victims over several decades, with some claiming in excess of one hundred. Inconsistencies during her post mortem examination; the corpse was reported to be two inches shorter than Belle’s six feet, paved the way for Belle Gunnes to enter American criminal folklore, a female Bluebeard.</span></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-stMqcKlBkxc/U29I2-a_TjI/AAAAAAAAEeA/42i8yqHuSWw/s1600/Mary-Ann-Cotton.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-stMqcKlBkxc/U29I2-a_TjI/AAAAAAAAEeA/42i8yqHuSWw/s1600/Mary-Ann-Cotton.jpg" height="120" width="200" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>5. Mary Ann Cotton:</b>&nbsp; Britain’s first serial killer, Mary Ann Cotton, born in October 1832 in Low Moorsley, County Durham. Married at age twenty to William Mowbray, the newlyweds settled in Plymouth, Devon, to start their family. The couple had five children, four of whom died of ‘gastric fever and stomach pains’. Moving back to the north-east, tragedy seemed to follow them; three more children born, three more children died. William soon followed his offspring, dying of an ‘intestinal disorder’ in January 1865. British Prudential promptly paid a 35 pound dividend, and a pattern was established. Her second husband, George Ward, died of intestinal problems as well as one of her two remaining children. The power of the press, always a force to be reckoned with, caught up with Mary Ann. The local newspapers discovered that as Mary Ann moved around northern England, she lost three husbands, a lover, a friend, her mother and a dozen children, all dying of stomach fever. She was hanged at Durham County Gaol, March 24, 1873, for murder by arsenic poisoning. She died slowly, the hangman using too short a drop for a ‘clean’ execution.</span></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1cm5BEQFpeI/U29JAloEhOI/AAAAAAAAEeI/Aenj1eeKio4/s1600/Ilse-Koch.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1cm5BEQFpeI/U29JAloEhOI/AAAAAAAAEeI/Aenj1eeKio4/s1600/Ilse-Koch.jpg" height="138" width="200" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>4. Isle Koch:</b>&nbsp; Born on 22 September 1906, Ilse Koch, known as “Die Hexe von Buchenwald” the Witch of Buchenwald, or “Buchenwälder Schlampe” the Bitch of Buchenwald, was the wife of Karl-Otto Koch. She was one of the first prominent Nazis to be tried by the US military. Drunk on the absolute power rendered by her husband, she reveled in torture and obscenity. Infamous for her souvenirs; tattoos taken from the murdered inmates, her reputation for debauchery was well earned. After building an indoor sports arena in 1940, with 250,000 marks stolen from inmates, Ilsa was promoted to Oberaufseherin or “chief overseer” of the few female guards at Buchenwald. She committed suicide by hanging herself at Aichach women’s prison on September 1, 1967.&nbsp;</span></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7AIdCKV1bEA/U29K5nOycTI/AAAAAAAAEeU/CZrEWxcWxCQ/s1600/Elizabeth-Bathory.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7AIdCKV1bEA/U29K5nOycTI/AAAAAAAAEeU/CZrEWxcWxCQ/s1600/Elizabeth-Bathory.jpg" height="138" width="200" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>3. Elizabeth Bathory:</b> &nbsp; Born in 1560 and dying in 1614, Countess Elizabeth Báthory de Ecsed was a countess from the renowned Báthory family of nobility in the Kingdom of Hungary. She has been labeled the most prolific female serial killer in history, although the number of murders is debated, and is remembered as the “Blood Countess.” She was the infamous serial killer of Hungary. She used to kill peasant girls through severe beatings, burning, mutilation of body parts, chewing off the face etc. She was on house arrest and was not put to trial because of her status!</span></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3YDK7AQh4hc/U29NqswYjKI/AAAAAAAAEe4/n_00BJmPGcQ/s1600/1g.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3YDK7AQh4hc/U29NqswYjKI/AAAAAAAAEe4/n_00BJmPGcQ/s1600/1g.jpg" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>2. Gertrude Baniszewski:</b>&nbsp; Gertrude began her torture of Sylvia Likens in August of 1965, who was in her care as the latters parents were traveling regularly due to their profession.&nbsp; Sylvia was beaten with paddles, bathed in boiling hot water, starved, stubbed with cigarette butts, forced to insert glass coke bottles into her vagina on two occasions, verbal abused and forced to consume her own urine and feces.&nbsp; Shortly before Sylvia's death. Gertrude tried to brand her stomach with the words, :I am a prostitute and proud of it", using a sewing needle.&nbsp; Gertrude also encouraged her own children and their friends to torture and abuse Sylvia.</span></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-K_ZHEWRvrXw/U29LKJ10tCI/AAAAAAAAEec/M1s0Ci_gnFM/s1600/katherine-knight.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-K_ZHEWRvrXw/U29LKJ10tCI/AAAAAAAAEec/M1s0Ci_gnFM/s1600/katherine-knight.jpg" height="136" width="200" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>1. Katherine Knight:&nbsp;</b> Born on 24 October 1955 and continues to serve life long sentence in the prison, Katherine Mary Knight was the first Australian woman to be sentenced to life imprisonment without parole. She had a history of violence in relationships. She mashed the dentures of one of her ex-husbands and slashed the throat of another husband’s eight-week-old puppy before his eyes. A heated relationship with John Charles Thomas Price became public knowledge with an Apprehended Violence Order that Price had filed against Knight and ended with Knight stabbing Price to death with a butcher’s knife. He had been stabbed at least 37 times, both front and back, with many of the wounds penetrating vital organs. She then skinned him and hung his “suit” from the door frame in the living room, cut off his head and put it in the soup pot, baked his buttocks, and prepared gravy and vegetables to accompany the ‘roast’. The meal and a vindictive note were set out for the children, luckily discovered by police before they arrived home.</span></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Times,&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">There you have it, the Top 10 Most Evil Women in History.&nbsp; I know that some of you may have thought that your ex wives or former girlfriends would have been on this list but they pale in comparison to these women.&nbsp;</span></span><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span>THE RIGHT TO GRIPE - J. M.http://www.blogger.com/profile/04193784424776041797noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3489343629545026249.post-50136017136197671362014-05-10T11:39:00.004-04:002014-05-10T11:39:56.096-04:00The County Tax Fee Fiasco<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RzM7AfoTcAk/U25HnxNE5GI/AAAAAAAAEcI/uMKBOYZRAq0/s1600/1luz.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RzM7AfoTcAk/U25HnxNE5GI/AAAAAAAAEcI/uMKBOYZRAq0/s1600/1luz.jpg" height="132" width="200" /></a></div>The Luzerne County Council or as I like to call them The Insane County Clown Posse is at it again.&nbsp; This panel of nitwits have created a new fee for tax collection and it is causing all kinds of havoc.&nbsp; This fee was slipped into an agreement between the county and the Luzerne County Tax Collectors Association back in March.&nbsp; WHAT!&nbsp; WHAT!&nbsp; ARE YOU FREAKIN' KIDDING ME!&nbsp; There is actually a Luzerne County Tax Collectors Association?&nbsp; What is it made up of 2 members?&nbsp; I thought only Berkheimer and Wilkinson collected taxes?&nbsp; Actually, there are 69 elected tax collectors in the county with 27 not belonging to the Association.&nbsp; You learn something new and appalling every day.&nbsp; Back to the rest of the story.&nbsp; This "fee" was tucked in an agreement to stop the LCTCA's litigation against the county due to their switch to an in house tax collection system which was estimated to save the taxpayers $240,000.&nbsp; Back in January the Clown Posse voted to reverse the move to in house and keep the elected collectors at a somewhat reduced rate.&nbsp; Politics in Luzerne County at its best.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-pDnVpKmzvYY/U25G6_ule-I/AAAAAAAAEcA/UX7UYUcXDok/s1600/1+tax.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-pDnVpKmzvYY/U25G6_ule-I/AAAAAAAAEcA/UX7UYUcXDok/s1600/1+tax.jpg" height="200" width="200" /></a></div>This fee will be paid by attorneys, title search companies, financial institutions and other third parties involved in mortgage and property closings.&nbsp; These entities will pay $2.00 each time they need a copy of a county bill or tax document verifying that taxes were paid.&nbsp; Not bad you say?&nbsp; Here is the kicker.&nbsp; If the county went to their in house collection system, they would have saved $240,000.&nbsp; Instead they reverse their own decision because a group of 42 tax collectors challenged them with litigation.&nbsp; Now they institute a $2.00 fee to take the place of the savings that they would have had by bringing the tax collection in house.&nbsp; This Council of Clowns reversed a fiscally responsible decision to whack "We The People" yet again.&nbsp; You can rest assure that the title companies and the banks will pass this fee right onto their customers.&nbsp; To try to soften this blow, the County Jug Heads claim that this fee will only be in effect for 2014 and 2015 even though they agreed to keep the elected tax collectors through 2017.&nbsp; This wreaks of the Johnstown Flood Tax.&nbsp; The Johnstown Flood Tax was levied on booze to help rebuild Johnstown after the flood of 1889.&nbsp; That tax still remains today.&nbsp; I guarantee this fee will be in place well past 2015.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9cVdi03wioA/U25ID9turtI/AAAAAAAAEcQ/gX6bZBktrNk/s1600/11tax.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9cVdi03wioA/U25ID9turtI/AAAAAAAAEcQ/gX6bZBktrNk/s1600/11tax.jpg" height="138" width="200" /></a></div>Yes, it gets even better.&nbsp; This decision by the County Posse has caused total confusion with the tax collectors.&nbsp; The areas covered by the fee are unclear.&nbsp; Are the 27 tax collectors not in the Association forced to pay these fees?&nbsp; They were not party to the litigation and feel that they should not be included.&nbsp; Also, third parties already pay elected collectors varying fees for copies and payment verification, so why should they pay another fee for no additional work?&nbsp; Why not, the county workers love collecting more money for no additional work.&nbsp; In addition, one part of this settlement states that the tax jockeys must turn their $2 fees over once a month while another says twice a month.&nbsp; Did anyone proof read this thing?&nbsp; Finally, the tax collectors say that the Clown Posse has not given them any directive on how the third party payments are to be tracked and submitted.&nbsp; Hell, they may never know how much should be paid and how much was actually paid.&nbsp; Nothing new there.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_yvxwkfyN3M/U25INGUQe4I/AAAAAAAAEcY/mhUd1F3hHJY/s1600/bottom+line1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_yvxwkfyN3M/U25INGUQe4I/AAAAAAAAEcY/mhUd1F3hHJY/s1600/bottom+line1.jpg" height="75" width="200" /></a></div>The bottom line here is, is anyone surprised by this?&nbsp; Another stinking fee mixed in with total fiscal irresponsibility, blanketed in bedlam.&nbsp; In plain English this entire thing is a cluster buck.&nbsp; In order to get these elected tax monkeys off their backs, the Insane County Clown Posse rammed a quick agreement down the tax payers throats.&nbsp; This agreement is unclear and convoluted in a shroud of chaos.&nbsp; Nobody knows what to do and when to do it.&nbsp; The one thing that is clear, you and I will somehow get the 2 buck shafter in the after when we buy a house or want to refinance.&nbsp; In my mind it's not about the 2 bucks, its about the total fiscal irresponsibility that hangs over the County.&nbsp; They don't get it.&nbsp; Let the tax collectors take you to court.&nbsp; The county has the right to save the taxpayers money and we all expect them to do it.&nbsp; Next time you go to visit your tax collector, throw him or her the bird and say, "Thanks for the 2 buck bone".&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; THE RIGHT TO GRIPE - J. M.http://www.blogger.com/profile/04193784424776041797noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3489343629545026249.post-66272329664557260182014-04-19T10:19:00.000-04:002014-04-19T10:19:42.769-04:00GRIPE SHOTS<b><i>&nbsp;Work is the curse of the drinking classes......Oscar Wilde</i></b><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-BPb8gnTZZro/U1KERL597bI/AAAAAAAAEao/4yElDvVgmCs/s1600/Gripeshots1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-BPb8gnTZZro/U1KERL597bI/AAAAAAAAEao/4yElDvVgmCs/s1600/Gripeshots1.jpg" height="170" width="170" /></a></div>Shame on me.&nbsp; I have been away from the R2G for way to long.&nbsp; You know how it goes, WORK, home stuff, WORK, the family, WORK, friends and yes WORK.&nbsp; The dreaded 4 letter word.....WORK.&nbsp; The word we all dread just about every morning when we open are eyes.&nbsp; WORK.&nbsp; There are days that we love to WORK and then there are days we hate it with every fiber of our being.&nbsp; There are some who need to WORK and then there are some who just like to WORK.&nbsp; There are all types of WORK.&nbsp; There is office WORK, field WORK, house WORK, dirty WORK, assembly line WORK, warehouse WORK and the list goes on and on and on.&nbsp; The one thing we all know about WORK is that we do not get paid enough for the work we do.&nbsp; Companies short change employees with the knowledge that there is not a lot of WORK available out there.&nbsp; Employees are doing the WORK of 3 people but still getting the same pay.&nbsp; Pretty soon companies will be doing everything with no one.&nbsp; We all WORK hard at what we do so what so we get....more WORK!&nbsp; Yep, Mary has left the company, lets not fill her position.&nbsp; Sally is a hard worker, let's give the WORK to her.&nbsp; Let's overload Sally and then when the WORK does not get done or there are mistakes, we can blame Sally.&nbsp; Then is we have to let Sally go, we can split the WORK up for 3 other people because it was too much WORK for one person.&nbsp; You have seen this scenario before.&nbsp; In fact many of you have lived it.&nbsp; Maybe if companies really evaluated the actual WORK loads and hired a few more people, the WORK would get done correctly by a group of happy workers.&nbsp; Instead, all they look at is the bottom line.&nbsp; How can we make this bloated budget that we promised the owners.&nbsp; WORK, who needs it?&nbsp; Unfortunately we all do.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xyFUgBi1MgQ/U1KE8CVWNeI/AAAAAAAAEaw/GiroKim6AhY/s1600/1rob.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xyFUgBi1MgQ/U1KE8CVWNeI/AAAAAAAAEaw/GiroKim6AhY/s1600/1rob.jpg" height="170" width="167" /></a></div>Rob "It's a Miracle" Mericle is set to have is time before a judge next Thursday for his role in the "Kids For Cash" scandal that rocked Luzerne County.&nbsp; Judge Edwin Kosik will determine the fate of Mericle with one swift swing of his gavel.&nbsp; In my opinion, he deserves some time in the crow bar hotel.&nbsp; Anyone involved with ruining the lives of children deserves some time with Bubba in the slammer.&nbsp; Now that Mericle is up for sentencing all of his friends and associates are coming forward to say how nice a guy he is and if the judge locks him up his business will go in the toilet.&nbsp; If his business goes south, then he must not have very good management running the show.&nbsp; I have two words for all of this, "Tough Crap"!&nbsp; He should have thought about all of this before he broke the law.&nbsp; He committed the crime and now he should do the time.&nbsp; In plain English he got greedy.&nbsp; He took the cash and ran all the way to the juvie detention center.&nbsp; He may be the greatest guy to be born on this planet, he does loads for charities, but he did break the law.&nbsp; I say lock him up and maybe when he gets out he will have learned a valuable lesson.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/--RJedp03qiA/U1KFJSxiKBI/AAAAAAAAEa4/GyvC0ZLRazo/s1600/DSG--EvilEasterBunny.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/--RJedp03qiA/U1KFJSxiKBI/AAAAAAAAEa4/GyvC0ZLRazo/s1600/DSG--EvilEasterBunny.jpg" height="125" width="140" /></a></div>Finally, Easter is here and it appears that this is another holiday that is going by the waste-side.&nbsp; A vast majority of businesses are open and some don't even recognize Easter as a holiday.&nbsp; What the hell is going on here.&nbsp; For the christian religions, Easter is the most important holiday of the year.&nbsp; It is the time that Jesus died on the cross and rose from the dead to save the souls of mankind and their wicked ways.&nbsp; If you have to work on Easter Sunday, I say call off.&nbsp; If everyone called off, the businesses would not open.&nbsp; It's high time "We The People" get some well deserved time off from WORK.&nbsp; No work on major holidays.&nbsp; The corporate greed must end somewhere and the time is now. &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; THE RIGHT TO GRIPE - J. M.http://www.blogger.com/profile/04193784424776041797noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3489343629545026249.post-28618911007135670882014-03-16T09:53:00.002-04:002014-03-16T09:53:59.000-04:00St. Patrick's Day Parades<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-dflGDlQuP48/UyWsgzrv6XI/AAAAAAAAEZE/EXzM4bR6yMo/s1600/1ast).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-dflGDlQuP48/UyWsgzrv6XI/AAAAAAAAEZE/EXzM4bR6yMo/s1600/1ast).jpg" height="173" width="200" /></a></div>It's St. Patrick's Day weekend here in NEPA and the cities of Scranton and Wilkes-Barre are having their annual parades.&nbsp; These parades are some of the top ones in the country.&nbsp; People flock from miles around to see the marchers, floats, bands and bag pipers slowly meander down the main drags of both towns.&nbsp; Even the Mummers dawn their over bearing green costumes to march in these parades.&nbsp; If the Mummers show up you know it's big time.&nbsp; Before, during and after the parade, revelers drink themselves into a self induced alcohol coma with green beer and shots of Irish Whiskey that they normally don't drink.&nbsp; Local bars and eateries are packed to the gills with people dressed in green slamming down drinks like it's their jobs.&nbsp; It is 12 to 18 hours of sheer, good clean fun for all.&nbsp; You can't beat it.&nbsp; <br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ySq_PdkueWU/UyWsqDHVnnI/AAAAAAAAEZM/UXglp3Sy5do/s1600/11ast.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ySq_PdkueWU/UyWsqDHVnnI/AAAAAAAAEZM/UXglp3Sy5do/s1600/11ast.jpg" height="138" width="200" /></a></div>Hell, so whats to Gripe about?&nbsp; I can only think of one thing, the weather.&nbsp; Wilkes-Barre always gets Mother Natures shaft for St. Patrick's Day weekend while Scranton stays in her good graces year after year after year.&nbsp; Take last year for example, Scranton had a bright sunny day with temps in the mid to upper 40's.&nbsp; Wilkes-Barre, wet snow and sub freezing temperatures.&nbsp; This year Scranton had a gorgeous sun lit day with highs in the mid to upper 40's once again.&nbsp; For Wilkes-Barre, it will be sunny, but the high will only be around 30 degrees with winds at 10 to 15 mph.&nbsp; This means the wind chill factor will be around 10 to 15 degrees.&nbsp; It will be ball nipping cold under all those kilts.&nbsp; It seems that over all the years Scranton gets the better end of the stick when it comes to the parade weather.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4DyvC6veoQ0/UyWsxaEgSMI/AAAAAAAAEZU/Nck2g4h2suc/s1600/2934.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4DyvC6veoQ0/UyWsxaEgSMI/AAAAAAAAEZU/Nck2g4h2suc/s1600/2934.gif" height="187" width="200" /></a></div>For one, I am sick of Scranton getting the good weather for the St. Patrick's Day Parade.&nbsp; Why does Wilkes-Barre get the shaft year after year?&nbsp; I can tell you I have marched in many of these parades and it is always bone ass cold for Wilkes-Barre.&nbsp; In fact, I stopped marching because of this and this alone.&nbsp; Instead, I hike up my kilt and head to Senunas' pub on North Main St to tip a few beers to salute my Irish heritage with my friends and family.&nbsp; I thumb my nose at Mother Nature, she can't stop me today.&nbsp; To all I wish a Happy St. Patrick's Day. &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; THE RIGHT TO GRIPE - J. M.http://www.blogger.com/profile/04193784424776041797noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3489343629545026249.post-6491938637803745902014-03-02T10:16:00.002-05:002014-03-02T10:16:55.152-05:00I'm As Mad As Hell<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-a6lRsfKmzng/UxNKr2uK4_I/AAAAAAAAEX0/X8cHoEaF_4U/s1600/1mah.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-a6lRsfKmzng/UxNKr2uK4_I/AAAAAAAAEX0/X8cHoEaF_4U/s1600/1mah.jpg" height="200" width="200" /></a></div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times,&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,serif;">I'm as mad as hell and I'm not gonna take it anymore.&nbsp; There are a few things stuck in my craw that have been chaffing my irritation button for a week or so now.&nbsp; First off, why hasn't Kids For Cash participant Rob Mericle been sentenced yet.&nbsp; <span style="background-color: white; color: black; display: inline ! important; float: none; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 19.6px; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">Mericle pleaded guilty in September to withholding information on a crime for taking actions that prosecutors said helped former judges Mark Ciavarella and Michael Conahan conceal the source of $2.8 million Mericle and Attorney Robert Powell had paid them.&nbsp; It seems to me that 5 months is a long time to wait for sentencing.&nbsp; </span></span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times,&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: black; display: inline ! important; float: none; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 19.6px; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">Prosecutors allege the money, roughly $2.1 million of which was paid by Mericle, was a reward for rulings the judges made that ensured two juvenile centers once co-owned by Powell maintained a high occupancy rate.&nbsp; On a positive note, federal prosecutors now have a motion in front of a judge to change the sentence possibility from the minimum to the max for his role in this despicable affair.&nbsp; Let's see if the federal judge has enough guts to allow the justice system to throw the book at this crook.</span></span></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times,&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: black; display: inline ! important; float: none; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 19.6px; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></span></span></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-L3G7azuhYD4/UxNLCWTWBKI/AAAAAAAAEX8/Dt8ixbqXprk/s1600/download.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-L3G7azuhYD4/UxNLCWTWBKI/AAAAAAAAEX8/Dt8ixbqXprk/s1600/download.jpg" height="58" width="200" /></a></div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times,&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: black; display: inline ! important; float: none; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 19.6px; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">Shame on Kraft Foods.&nbsp; They have struck a deal with Genpact foods to ship jobs from our area to India.&nbsp; WHAT!&nbsp; WHAT! ARE YOU FREAKIN' KIDDING ME!&nbsp; On Monday, Kraft foods informed their 350 employees that work in the Hanover Industrial Park that they will be moving to Genpact which is a few miles away.&nbsp; Under the "Strategy Description employees saw,</span></span></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times,&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: black; display: inline ! important; float: none; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 19.6px; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">&nbsp;&nbsp; </span></span></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: Times,&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: black; display: inline ! important; float: none; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 19.6px; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">&nbsp;</span></span></b><span style="font-family: Times,&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: black; display: inline ! important; float: none; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 19.6px; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><b><span style="background-color: white; color: black; display: inline ! important; float: none; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 19.6px; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><b>“Genpact was chosen by Kraft senior management to provide order to cash services. This bid waiver covers the 5-year term of the contract for the OTC services. Kraft employees will be transferring to Genpact. Contract language includes the agreed upon severance, benefits and all employment related provisions. Pricing for the first year is based on FTE count. Thereafter, Kraft has rights to convert to transaction based pricing. Kraft will exit Wilkes-Barre by July 1, 2014 and move into Genpact’s Wilkes-Barre facility. Beginning July, 2015 FTE will being (sic) to transition to Genpact’s India facility.”</b></span></b></span></span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times,&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: black; display: inline ! important; float: none; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 19.6px; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: black; display: inline ! important; float: none; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 19.6px; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">It's time for this crap to stop.&nbsp; I recommend that we all boycott products produced by Kraft Foods.&nbsp; It's time we send a message to these companies that "we are as mad as hell and we're not gonna take it anymore".</span></span></span></span><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vh7Rc523ePk/UxNLVTn3nAI/AAAAAAAAEYE/9mDnkmfSPCQ/s1600/1images.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vh7Rc523ePk/UxNLVTn3nAI/AAAAAAAAEYE/9mDnkmfSPCQ/s1600/1images.jpg" height="131" width="200" /></a></div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times,&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: black; display: inline ! important; float: none; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 19.6px; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: black; display: inline ! important; float: none; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 19.6px; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">And finally, it appears that the Insane Clown Posse at the Luzerne County Courthouse have screwed up yet again.&nbsp; Our County Council debate over the 2014 budget has held up tax bills from being sent out.&nbsp; The Council has been debating over an 8% tax hike.&nbsp; The bills were supposed to be mailed out in January but are now just going out.&nbsp; No big deal right?&nbsp; Yes big deal.&nbsp; The county now has only about $2 million is reserves to cover expenses which include payroll and other bills.&nbsp; Local tax collectors are required to turn over tax payments by the 10th of each month which now means the county will not get any more money until April 10th.&nbsp; Two million bucks does not go a long way when you are trying to cover the bills for a month and a half.&nbsp; All I can say is, "What a bunch of idiots".&nbsp; I made the call a few years ago that this Council form of government will not work.&nbsp; I predicted that many things will get caught up in gridlock due to the members not agreeing and "BOOM" here it is. &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; </span><b><span style="background-color: white; color: black; display: inline ! important; float: none; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 19.6px; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><b>&nbsp;</b></span></b> </span></span></span>THE RIGHT TO GRIPE - J. M.http://www.blogger.com/profile/04193784424776041797noreply@blogger.com0